The Future Never Dies
by Kaneslady1974
Summary: Kane searches for his brother's attacker and finds something unexpected in the process. Now COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

The Future Never Dies, Ch. 1

This is a story introducing my OC, Gabrielle and involves one of my favorite wrestlers, Kane. The storyline follows the current arc of the attack of the Undertaker. This is going to be rated T for now, but may be rated M later!

Disclaimer: I only own Gabrielle, all other characters are owned by WWE and Vince McMahon. Now with that out of the way, enjoy the show!

Fire. Heat. Searing pain. He wanted to cry out but Father would think that was weakness showing through. Father always compared him to Brother….always. So he let the fire consume him, melting his flesh away, melting it to the very bone…

He sat up, the scream that he would not allow to be voiced still lodged in his massive chest. His hands went to his face, to the mask that wasn't there anymore. He kept telling himself that the scars had all been psychological, but Father had let him believe he was ugly for so long, he had no choice but to believe it. The room was completely dark; he always put a heavy blanket over the window in any hotel room he stayed in. The darkness helped him to sleep, but nothing would ever get rid of the nightmares he had lived with since he was a boy.

Kane got out of the bed and walked to the bathroom. He flipped on the light and forced himself to look at himself in the mirror. Sweat poured down his face, his heavily muscled arms and chest. He made himself touch his face briefly; no scars there, yes he knew that, but still….Ever since the incident with the Undertaker, the nightmares had grown worse. He wished he didn't dream in color.

He walked out of the bathroom and out through the bedroom to the door of his room. He opened it and looked into the hallway. It was deserted, and the muted sounds of other guests' televisions were the only noise. Why had he looked into the hallway in the first place? There was no one out there who could help him, no one who could make the pain stop, no one who could make the nightmares fade…

He turned to go back inside and a slight movement at the end of the hallway caught his eye. Kane turned back to look and his breath caught in his throat.

Standing there was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life. She was tall, almost 6 feet, and wore a long black coat that came to her knees. Her eyes were bright green, catching the light in the hallway. The most striking feature was her hair; it was long, falling almost to her waist, and it was completely white. Her skin was pale and flawless. She stared back at him and both were caught in that moment.

Then the woman blinked, Kane remembered to breathe, and for no good reason he could think of, he spoke to her. "Can I help you?" The woman slowly walked forward. "I bring you a message," she said quietly in a throaty voice that made him want to shiver. "What message? Do I know you?" Kane found himself frozen in the doorway as she came closer. She stopped a few feet from him and for a moment seemed unable to speak. Then she gave her head a slight shake and resumed. "I bring you a message…from your brother."

Kane looked at her for a moment, anger trying to ignite in his heart. "Look, don't mention my brother, lady. I don't even know you and-" She cut him off smoothly. "-he says to not worry. He says to continue your search for the one who attacked him. He gives you his blessing…"

Kane stopped. He looked into the eyes of the unknown woman and saw the truth. She spoke the truth. Undertaker *had* sent the message. He could feel it.

"Who…who are you?" he asked softly. The woman looked at him steadily, her lips wanting to curve into a smile but not quite making it. "My name is Gabrielle. And I'm here to help you in your search for the one who attacked the Undertaker." They stared at each other in that hallway, and Kane felt something foreign to him. Something he had never dared to allow himself to feel. Something like hope.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Kane woke up the next morning, and the darkness of the room only added to his disorientation. Had last night really happened? Or had it been just another betrayal of his traitor mind? He looked at the clock beside the bed; it was 7 am and he had to get ready for tonight's Smackdown episode. He just couldn't get what had happened last night off his mind, though, especially when he thought about Gabrielle. Her cold beauty made him feel strange and he was almost amused to feel the first stirrings of lust inside.

He flipped the bedside lamp on. There was a black rose lying on the small table. So it *had* been real, after all…the question was, how much could he trust her?

That night came, and he walked to the ring, the idea of re-affirming his search for his brother's attacker his mission. Kane grabbed the microphone. "I know you're out there….whoever you are, coward. I'm getting closer to finding you every single day. Are you scared? You should be; in fact, you should be absolutely terrified! I told you, you would be damned when I found you, and that hasn't changed. Each day that goes by will magnify the pain I'm going to cause to you, and-"

The lights went out, and the crowd immediately began chanting for the Undertaker. Kane looked around, puzzled. Music began to play, eerie and at the same time, comforting.

The lights came up and Gabrielle stood before him. The crowd gasped.

She was as radiantly beautiful as she had been last night in the hallway and was possibly even more so tonight. Her long white hair shone in the arena lights, and her green eyes seemed to dance. She held a microphone of her own. "I give you a message, Kane. I give you a message to pass on: my dark blessings are upon you. Find my attacker, and make them pay the ultimate price. I told you I was sent to help, and that's exactly what I'm going to do. Anyone who deals with you-" she turned to the camera and looked directly into it "-deals with *me*. That I promise you."

She turned back to Kane and gave him a slight nod of her head. Then the lights went out again. When they came back up, she had disappeared.

He sat in the locker room backstage afterwards, alone, his emotions a confused swarm. He still didn't know how much he could trust her, but he knew one thing: she was definitely having an impact on him. The lust still smouldered inside him, but there was a new and much more confusing emotion that he dared not name.

Kane suddenly sensed a presence in the room and looked up. Gabrielle stood there, watching him with her head slightly cocked to one side.

"Having doubts?" she asked softly, no trace of mocking in her voice. He shook his head. "Look…I just met you last night without any warning. I'm still trying to process it all." She walked over and sat down beside him on the sofa; she was close but not close enough to be touching him.

"I understand your concerns, Kane. It's something I'm still processing myself, but when you have such an important mission as I do, you don't question it. I meant what I said; anyone who deals with you deals with me as well. I'm not afraid of any of these oversized boys walking around in their trunks. I'm not afraid of anything really…." She leaned over as if to put a reassuring hand on his arm and stopped just short; his heart felt like it would explode if she did touch him….

"Just keep one thing in mind: you *can* trust me, Kane. I promise you that above all else. Just trust me." One side of her mouth twitched in a ghost of a smile, and he was helpless not to smile back at her.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The next night was a house show in Milwaukee. Kane had a match with CM Punk. Gabrielle accompanied him to the ring. The crowd cheered at the two when they walked to the ring; it seemed the WWE Universe had welcomed Gabrielle with open arms. She showed just how much truth there was to her vow to help Kane when Punk's Straight Edge "Anti-Diva" Serena tried to interfere; Gabrielle laid her out with a well-placed super kick to the jaw. Kane choke slammed Punk for the win, and the crowd went insane. Kane felt a new level of respect from the audience, and that was different too. For the first time, it felt….*good* to be liked by these people. And was that because of Gabrielle? He thought so.

After the match, Kane was in the locker room gathering his things. A freshly showered Gabrielle walked in, her white hair still a bit damp. She wore a black hoodie that molded to her breasts and jeans that clung to her curves. Kane felt a bit dizzy just looking at her.

"You see? I told you I was going to help you, and I meant it. And that's going to happen every time someone tries to stick their nose in your business, every time someone tries to interfere….I'll be there." Her lips twitched again in that ghost of a smile, and he felt a tingle run down his spine.

"I still don't understand, Gabrielle. Did my brother send you? How did you find me?" She cocked her head to one side and looked at him, eyes faintly puzzled. "I…I really don't know, Kane. One moment I was in my bed, the next I was in a room speaking with someone I couldn't see clearly. But the voice…it was *his*. He gave me instructions to find you. He said…." She trailed off, remembering…

_You will take care of him, Gabrielle. You will be to him what no other woman has been. My brother has been hurt so many times, but you will see to it that no one ever hurts him again. Now, make your promise to me, Gabrielle. Promise me you will be his angel, his angel of the darkness. Lead him to whatever light there is for beings like us._

"He said what, Gabrielle?" Kane asked patiently. She blinked, coming back to the present. She couldn't tell him the truth of what the Undertaker had told her, not yet. She wasn't sure if she could handle it herself. But she knew one thing: she was beginning to actually feel something for him. The monster Kane, the Big Red Machine, the one that was feared and reviled, the one who had never known true love. That was something they had in common; she was no vampire, no corpse come back to life by some dark magic, but she had never felt the spark of love in her heart for any other being. Could she feel it for him?

"He told me to watch over you, that's all. And I'm going to keep my promise. I see great things for you, Kane….I see great things for us both."

She wanted to touch him, to grasp his huge hand in hers, but still….if she touched him like that, she was so afraid of what might happen. And so she forced herself to stand looking at him, that half-smile playing on her lips.

Kane pulled a tshirt over his head, smiling a bit himself. "I'm forever in his debt then," he said. He grabbed his bag. "I guess we're headed to Chicago for a special appearance on Raw Monday night. I can't believe I actually have a day off for once. Would you-uh, would you like to get some dinner with me?" He felt so awkward asking her, this goddess-like being, to dinner. He felt like a child in her presence sometimes. However, the awkwardness faded when her smile grew a bit. "I would love to, Kane. I'm starving actually. Do you know of a place around here?" He nodded. "I do, as a matter of fact. I hope you like burgers, there's a great little hole-in-the-wall diner a couple of blocks from here…" He opened the locker room door for her and they walked out together, slightly close together but neither daring to touch the other….


	4. Chapter 4

Several weeks passed. Kane and Gabrielle continued their search for the Undertaker's attacker, both on and off camera. It also looked as if Kane would soon be in contention for the World Heavyweight Championship, but for once, titles didn't concern him. Life on the road, which had always been lonely and empty for him, had become something he actually looked forward to. He was still trying to sort out his feelings for Gabrielle, though; as one who had never let himself feel anything but hatred, he was having trouble with this new emotion. It excited him and terrified him all at the same time.

As for Gabrielle, her new life was just as exhilarating and frightening to her as it was for Kane. Unlike Kane, though, she never felt hatred for anyone….her problem was she never felt *anything*. As long as she could remember, she had always been indifferent to anyone else; she had never had a relationship or even a friend. Maybe being thrust out of her comfort zone was good, but it certainly was scary. Especially when she thought she might be falling in love with Kane; nothing she had ever encountered before had made her such a mess emotion-wise. She always tried to keep her distance, and recognized that he did as well. But he was very hard to read sometimes, and thus she didn't know for sure what he was going through.

They might have gone on like this for a long time if not for the screw-up at the hotel…

"What do you mean, there's only one bed?" Gabrielle rarely raised her voice, so Kane knew she had to be upset. He was a little upset too, although perhaps not for the same reasons she was.

The young clerk behind the hotel lobby desk cringed at the sight of this nearly 6 foot tall woman with shocking white hair looming over him. "Ma'am, I-I'm sorry. There was a mix-up in the reservations and the room you reserved only has one bed. I just thought…." He trailed off, caught in Gabrielle's emerald-eyed stare. "You thought what?" she asked in a deadly soft voice, and Kane *knew* she meant business then. Gabrielle cocked her head to one side. "You thought *what*, young man?" The desk clerk suddenly looked like he wished the floor would open up and swallow him. "I…I thought that the two of you were a couple. I thought it wouldn't matter. I am sorry, ma'am…."

Gabrielle stopped. She shook her head slightly and took the room keycard from the clerk. Without saying another word, she turned on her heel and stalked toward the elevator. Kane and the desk clerk were left to stare after her. Kane looked at the clerk and gave him a lopsided grin; the clerk tried to smile weakly and failed. Figuring the poor guy had had enough, Kane turned to go after Gabrielle.

She was waiting at the elevator for him. She pressed the floor button and they stepped on. They rode in silence for a moment, neither of them knowing quite what to say. Kane finally broke the silence. "Gabrielle, I can sleep on the floor, it's no big deal-" "No," she cut in. "You have a match tomorrow and if you slept on the floor, you'd be nothing but a mass of tight muscles. We can….we can sleep in the same bed. We're both adults. I think we know each other pretty well." _Do we?_ Kane thought to himself. _Do we really know what the other is thinking? If she only knew…_

They got to the room and unpacked. The bed was a king size, which was perfect because of Kane's size. _Plus there's plenty of room for us both to not accidentally touch each other, _Kane thought, although if that happened….he pushed that thought out of his head.

They both took turns showering; Kane sat on the bed and tried to find something on the television to take his mind off of Gabrielle in the shower. He could just imagine the water rolling down her body as she shampooed her hair. He had never, ever had such daydreams about any woman but her, and the more he thought about it, the more he thought there would be trouble if they actually slept in that bed together. He heard the shower turn off; after a few moments, he heard the hair dryer turn on as she dried her hair. About 15 minutes later, the dryer shut off and the bathroom door opened.

Gabrielle wore a black tshirt and black athletic shorts. He had never noticed how well-toned her legs were before. She was still brushing that magnificent white hair. They looked at each other for a long moment.

"Find anything good on tv?" Gabrielle finally said. Kane shook his head. "There's never anything good on tv." Gabrielle's eyes flicked to the bed and then back to Kane. "What time do we have to get up in the morning?" "Our flight's at 9 am, so I guess…maybe 6?" Gabrielle nodded. "Then I guess we'd better turn in…."

**Sorry to end this chapter on a cliffhanger so to speak! I'm still working on what's going to happen next. Enjoy!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi everyone! Here's the next chapter. I've changed the rating from T to M for reasons which will become quite obvious later ;) I hope you enjoy it; I feel like I rushed through it, but oh well!**

There was a sudden knock at their hotel door, and both of them froze, as if they had been caught in the middle of an embarrassing situation. The knock came again, and Kane stood up. "Who the hell is that at this time of night?" he growled. He threw the door open…and there was no one there. He looked down and saw a plain sheet of paper folded on the floor. He looked up and down the hallway but saw no one. He picked up the paper and shut the door.

"No one there?" Gabrielle asked, brushing her hair again. Kane shook his head and opened up the paper. He felt his breath stop. There was a single sentence scrawled on the paper in capital letters:

YOU THINK YOU'RE GETTING CLOSER BUT YOU'RE NOT!

He read it again, the anger starting to build in him. Gabrielle stopped brushing and put the brush on the dresser. "Let me see that," she said quietly, holding out her hand. Kane looked at her, wanting to rage, wanting to cry out with all the power he could….and he couldn't. He simply handed her the note, which she read twice before crumpling it in one slender hand. "Bastards," she muttered. "We must be getting closer or else they wouldn't be so jumpy…" She looked at Kane and tossed the note in the small garbage can. She walked to him, almost close enough to touch him. He could smell her shampoo and the scent of her soap and he wanted to die; how could he feel so much for her when he didn't know how she really felt?

"Don't let that bother you, Kane. Whoever it is, we'll find them. I gave you my vow and I don't mean to break that." She reached out to him and he noticed her hand minutely trembling. What did that mean? He couldn't allow himself to hope…until she reached up to touch his face. They both couldn't move for a moment, his blue eyes locked with her green ones. "I meant what I said, Kane…except I lied about one thing." He stared at her. "I told you that I wasn't afraid of anything, but I am…oh hell, what am I saying? I'm absolutely terrified of what I feel right now. You have no idea-"

"Yes," he cut in, raising his huge hand to cover hers. "I do. I know exactly how you feel because I'm feeling it myself, and I don't understand it. But maybe I don't want to. Maybe I'm tired of being a monster, maybe I just want to be a man…a man who has someone to love." He gripped her hand gently and brought it to his lips, where he kissed it; he felt her shiver at his touch. "Love?" she whispered breathlessly. "Are you saying…" She couldn't finish it. He bent his face down to her, and suddenly the fear was gone as if blown away by a strong wind. "Yes, Gabrielle. That's what I'm saying….believe me when I say I've never felt like this before about any woman. You're different….that's why I love you."

Her green eyes widened slightly at his words, but he cut off any chance of a response by cupping her face in both hands and kissing her. Her arms came up and linked around his neck, trying to pull him closer, as if trying to pull him into her. Then she pulled away, stepping back from him. A snake of fear coiled in his belly…._Oh God please not again, please not her…_ She looked at him, her head slightly cocked, and for a moment he could have sworn she was reading his mind. Then she stepped back to him, opening her arms to him. "Come to me, my darling….I love you too. I've never said that to anyone in my life, but I love you." He stepped to her and picked her up, both massive arms around her waist. They kissed, one just as hungry as the other one and both newcomers to this emotion. But they both knew one thing: they never wanted it to stop.

Gabrielle broke the kiss finally, her arms around his neck, their foreheads touching. "My dear Kane….let's go to bed…."


	6. Chapter 6

She wrapped her legs around his waist, trying to bring his body as close to hers as possible. She felt the hard length of him press against her groin, and suddenly she knew exactly what she wanted, what she _needed._ He carried her over to the bed and laid her down gently, not wanting to let her go but knowing there was something else they needed to do first.

Gabrielle sat up and pulled the shirt over her head, tossing it to the floor. Her breasts were perfect globes, the nipples pink and standing at attention. Kane took it all in; she was beautiful, absolutely beautiful. She motioned to him and he joined her on the bed; this first time would be urgent, but there would be more time later to enjoy each other. Their lips met and Kane felt her tongue slip into his mouth. She reached down and slipped a hand down the front of the jogging pants he was wearing. She gripped him and began to stroke him; he knew he couldn't wait any longer. He nearly ripped off her shorts in his urgency, trying to take his own pants off in the process. She was wearing black lace panties and those he _did _rip off, revealing she was shaved down there except for a small neat patch of dark hair.

That was all it took; Kane spread her legs and positioned himself at her slick wet opening. He pushed into her, trying not to hurt her but not being able to control himself. Gabrielle moaned and wrapped her legs around him, pulling him deeper into herself. She arched her back as he pumped into her, his hands on her breasts. "Oh, Kane, yes…." She closed her eyes and he felt her orgasm begin, clenching his penis and he couldn't hold back any longer. He exploded inside her, crying out with the total ecstasy of his own release.

A moment later, they were lying with their arms wrapped around each other, both breathing hard from the total release. Kane placed a soft kiss on her forehead; she turned to look into his eyes. "I…I never thought…" She couldn't finish; he reached up to stroke her face. "Never thought what?" he asked quietly. "I never thought anyone would ever make me feel the way that you do. I never imagined in a million years that I would feel like this. All my life…ever since I can remember…I've been alone. I was closed off from the world. But that all changed the night…the night your brother saved me."

Kane looked at her, his eyes puzzled. "My brother…saved you? What do you mean?" Gabrielle sighed and sat up on the bed, pushing her snow-white hair behind her ears. "It's a long story, Kane. But the reason I'm here is because of him. He saved my life…and in return, asked for my loyalty and service. He told me one day, he would need me. And that day came…the day when he was attacked. He came to me in a dream; you see, Kane, the Undertaker _knows_ who attacked him. But he can do nothing about it; he couldn't tell me who did it, because he said that _you _needed to learn the truth on your own. And when he saw you were struggling, that your pain and anguish was taking over…he sent me. He told me to be your angel. He didn't know that…that you would be MY angel as well." She leaned over to kiss him, her hands running over his massive chest. "Your brother saved my life, Kane…but you've saved my soul. You've brought me out of the darkness I've lived in for so long. I love you." She kissed him again and pressed her naked body against his. "This time," she whispered to him, "enjoy it. Take your time. We have all night, my darling…." His arms wrapped around her and they began again, slowly.

They didn't discover the note that had been slipped under the door sometime in the night until the next morning.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey everyone, I just wanted to let you know I'm kind of working a bit farther into the future with this chapter instead of continuing Kane and Gabby's hot hot night ;) Despite the storyline on Smackdown now having Rey Mysterio as the Undertaker's attacker, I'm going to stick with my original idea. Hope you enjoy!**

She sat by his bedside, watching his chest slowly rise and fall. The monitors beeped; that and his quiet respiration were the only sounds in the room besides the rain spattering against the windows. She sat with her legs pulled up to her chest, her arms wrapped around them gripping them tightly. She was afraid if she let go, she would lose it then. She didn't want to hurt the doctors and the nurses who came to check on her beloved, but she feared her control was slipping, little by little….

She thought back to the morning after the first night they made love, the note they found slid under the door. There was only one thing scrawled on the paper in black marker: **7**. That number. Only that number. And only too late did they discover what it really meant.

Gabrielle felt her arms tighten around her legs, pulling them closer to her, pulling them in so close she could barely breathe. She relented, loosening her grip slightly. She looked at Kane lying in the hospital bed and she wanted to scream; she wanted to leap out of the chair and throw in through the window. She wanted to wrap her hands around the throat of the first person who walked through that door and squeeze and squeeze and squeeze…

_Get hold of yourself, Little Sister. Kane doesn't need you to lose it now. The time will come. Trust me._

HIS voice. The voice that broke through the red insanity that swirled in her brain, through the rage that threatened to overcome her. She drew in a deep breath and let it out shakily. She thought of that number again: 7.

7. Fucking 7.

Fucking Nexus.

She wanted to kick herself for not making the connection. They were the only ones who could have overpowered the Undertaker and take him out. They had terrorized Raw, and now they had moved in on Smackdown.

They had moved in on her love and hurt him. Gabrielle didn't know how, didn't know when or where, but she had made that vow in her heart, not only to the Undertaker, not only to her beloved, but to herself: she would hurt them. She would hurt them like they had never been hurt before. They would suffer at her hands.

She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling the tears wanting to come and willing them away. Tears were a sign of weakness; the wall that Kane had broken down had brought out her softer side, but tears were something she would never allow. Not now, not ever. She would never-

"Gabrielle?" an unfamiliar voice asked softly…and yet it was familiar all at the same time. She opened her eyes and saw a tall solidly-built man wearing a tshirt and blue jean shorts standing in the doorway. He held a cap in his hand. She cocked her head to the side, eyes puzzled.

"John…Cena?" she asked. He nodded, glancing over at Kane's sleeping body. "I heard what happened…well, I saw the footage. I had to come." He stepped inside and Gabrielle got out of the chair with lightning speed. "Why?" she demanded. "Why would you come here?" She walked over to him and he stepped back, slightly unsettled looking at this woman who was only about 2 inches shorter than he was. "Gabrielle…you have to understand…you and Kane are victims of Nexus now. Don't you think I understand that? Don't you think I know how you feel?" Her green eyes blazed at him and she shoved a finger into his chest. "You? You think you KNOW how I feel? You have no IDEA what I'm feeling right now! The Nexus attacked you, they attacked your pride, but they attacked my HEART! They attacked my…they hurt my love…" She seemed to deflate as she turned to look back at the unconscious Kane. She walked over to his bedside and took his hand in hers. John sighed. "Gabrielle, you're right. I don't know how you really feel, but I do know what it's like to deal with the Nexus, with their sneak attacks. Somehow I had an idea they were the ones behind the Undertaker's attack, but I never thought…I guess I never thought they'd cross the lines between Raw and Smackdown." He walked over to her. "I came to offer my help. You know I have a team ready to fight them at SummerSlam."

Gabrielle laughed, a short choppy sound. "Yes, I've seen your 'team'. Fighting against each other, and two of the biggest egomaniacs in the WWE, Edge and Jericho running their mouths. Some team, Cena." She traced the lines of Kane's palm with one trembling finger. "I want the Nexus to suffer, Cena….I want them to suffer to their last breath." John ran a hand through his hair. "I understand that, Gabrielle, but you can't do it alone." She laid Kane's hand back down on the bedcover and turned to face John. He saw her eyes and instantly regretted his words.

"So the big strong man wants to protect the delicate little flower? Is that what this is all about? Let me tell you something, Cena; I can take care of myself. I've done things….I've seen things….things that would make you run screaming out of this room if I told you. My Kane is unable to take out his vengeance on those Nexus cowards. I made a vow to help him, and I'm not breaking it now."

Cena looked at her for a moment. Gabrielle saw the kindness in his eyes and she wanted to recoil from his gaze. No one else in the entire company had ever looked at her as a friend, except for Kane, and that of course was different. John Cena's face was sincere; she could look into his eyes and see he wanted nothing more but to help. Love had been foreign to her, but she had embraced it once it presented itself to her. Friendship…simple human kindness…here was another thing alien to her. Something else to push her out of the darkness.

She sighed and took hold of her white hair with both hands, pulling it behind her, then letting it fall against her shoulders and back. "All right, Cena…if you want to help me against the Nexus, then I accept. But on one condition." Cena put his hands out, palms up. "Name it," he said. Gabrielle looked at him, and he could swear he saw hell behind those green eyes. "I get my shot at Wade Barrett…I get to hurt him. He's going to regret the day he put his hands on Kane and the Undertaker." Cena nodded silently, then extended his hand to her. She looked at it for a moment, then looked back at him. They shook hands.

Outside, thunder boomed and lightning struck somewhere, shaking the room, and that seemed to seal the deal…only Cena felt deep down he had just made a deal with the devil.


	8. Chapter 8

The next day, Gabrielle stood at Kane's bedside. The doctors had told her he was stable, but would still need to be in a medically-induced coma. There was a bandage around his head, his face was a mass of bruises, and his left arm was in a cast. The doctors said he was lucky the injuries weren't worse. Gabrielle touched his cheek softly. The rage was building in her again looking at her beloved in such a state. Her thoughts turned back to that fateful night, a night that took them both by surprise….

_She was walking down the hallway to the dressing room when suddenly a man appeared in front of her. Heath Slater, from the Nexus, here on Smackdown? He didn't say one word as he grabbed her and shoved her into a janitor's closet, shoving a heavy equipment trunk against the door. Stunned for a moment, she stood there in the darkness. What the hell had just happened? She started beating on the door, then kicking it. No one came. _

_Finally that red fog of rage swarmed over her. She felt around in the darkness and grabbed something that felt like a lead pipe. She started the beat the door with it; the door began to splinter. Finally, with one powerful kick, she rammed a hole in the door. It was enough for her to push the door open. She looked around; the hallway was empty. No crew members, no Superstars, nothing…_

_Something was wrong._

_Then she heard the Nexus's music in the arena, the fans booing and screaming. She ran as fast as she could to the entrance, coming through the curtains. She began to run to the ring…and stopped short._

_Kane was lying there, a pool of blood spreading around his head. There were already WWE officials and paramedics around him. He was limp, unmoving. She didn't remember starting to run again to the ring, or slipping through the ropes. She didn't remember grabbing one of the medics and super-kicking him through the ropes. She didn't remember the officials taking hold of her, trying to drag her away from her beloved. There was only one thing she DID remember: looking up the ramp and seeing the Nexus standing there. And even from that distance, she saw the smirk on Wade Barrett's face._

_She screamed, and the announcers would never forget that sound of mixed anguish and rage…_

Gabrielle shook her head, coming back out of her thoughts. She looked at Kane again. She bent down and kissed his lips softly. "Kane," she whispered. "I'm going to get them now, my love. I'm going to make them pay for what they did to you and your brother. I'll be back, I promise." She kissed him again. Kane still lay there sleeping. She walked to the door, then turned and looked at him again, knowing he couldn't hear her. "Whatever happens, Kane, I'll always love you. Remember that." Then she turned and walked out the door.

_**Later that day…**_

The meeting was in one of the conference rooms at the hotel they were all staying in. John Cena sat at the head of the table; to his left sat Chris Jericho; to his right sat Edge. John Morrison, R-Truth, the Great Khali(along with his interpreter, Ranjin Singh) and Bret Hart filled the rest of the seats. There was one empty seat at the other end of the table. "I still don't understand why you wanted us all here," Jericho said in a disdainful voice. "I really don't even know why I agreed to join this team." He looked around the table and sneered. "You're all just sheep, you know, following and bleating along behind HIM." He swept an arm out towards Cena. Cena rolled his eyes and sighed. "Jericho, I wish you'd just put aside everything right now," Cena said. "We have a common goal here: we've all been attacked by the Nexus. Isn't that the reason why we're here?" Edge laughed. "Sure, I want to get back at the Nexus, but why did you have to get that big galoot on the team?". He pointed at Khali. Ranjin Singh said something to Khali and Khali responded, his eyes on Edge. "The Great Khali says a certain blonde-haired Canadian needs to shut his mouth," Singh translated. Edge smirked. "If you think I'm scared of you-" A door slammed, cutting off his sentence. They all turned.

Gabrielle stood there, wearing a black tshirt with the sleeves cut off and blue jeans. She wore black boots that added a couple more inches to her already impressive height. A tattoo of a black widow spider was on her left shoulder. The men stared at her as if really seeing her for the first time.

John stood up, smiling. "Gentlemen, meet the newest member of Team WWE. This is Gabrielle." She looked at them, unsmiling, her gaze settling on Edge for one uncomfortable moment. Kane had told her of his history with Edge and Lita, and her eyes were cold.

Jericho stood up. "Seriously, Cena? Seriously? That oversized wacko Kane's girlfriend is joining our team? What the hell?" Gabrielle's gaze turned to him. "Why don't you really tell me how you feel?", she asked softly. "No, wait: I really don't give a fuck how you feel. I don't care about how ANY of you feel. I'm here because Cena asked me to be here, because he knows how much of a threat the Nexus is. And yet you want to bicker amongst yourself, like children on a playground. You forget the greater threat to us all: the Nexus. Wade Barrett and his friends need to be taught a lesson. They need to know that they have overstepped their boundaries here in the WWE…they forgot their places in the hierarchy." She took the empty seat at the other end of the table. "They forget those who are more powerful than they are tired of them circling around like jackals, snapping up what meat they can and causing terror in the company." She smacked the wooden table with one hand, causing the others to jump. "They forget who _really _ causes terror here in the WWE…that's why they went after the Undertaker…that's why they attacked my Kane. They thought they could take over this entire organization. But they are very, very wrong, my friends."

She fell silent. The men looked at her, then looked around at each other. Edge, surprisingly, was the first to speak. "She's right…we can't let them take over our territory. They need to know their place; they need to know they can't just come in here and beat up everyone to gain power." Cena nodded slowly, a small smile curving his lips. He looked at Jericho. Chris looked back, glanced over at Gabrielle, then nodded. "Yes. I trained Wade Barrett personally…and he's turned on me like some wild animal. I can't allow that, or any of them to treat me like that." The rest of them nodded in agreement. Cena looked at Gabrielle; she looked back at him, cold, emotionless. "Is that good enough for you?" he asked. She cocked her head and stared at him. "It'll have to be…because if it isn't, when Kane wakes up, I'll let him know _exactly_ who was on my side…and who wasn't."


	9. Chapter 9

SummerSlam was in 4 days. Gabrielle's addition to the team had seemed to be the glue they needed to stick together, at least until the Nexus had been taken care of. Today found them poolside at the hotel, everyone enjoying the sun….except for Gabrielle. She sat inside at the bar, nursing a Guinness. John Cena got out of the pool, shaking the water out of his hair. He grabbed a towel and began to dry off. John Morrison got up from his chair and walked over. "Hey, Cena, what's her deal?" He nodded toward the door leading into the bar. "She comes in looking like she wants to kill everyone, makes her speech, brings the team together-and then she ignores everyone. What the hell?" Cena shook his head. "I don't know…she's just…" He trailed off as he looked inside; Gabrielle sat with her back to the door, her white hair a lion's mane falling down her back. "She's just different," he finished. Morrison laughed. "Different? That doesn't even come close. I think she's crazy…crazy like her boyfriend. Uh, hey, are they really…?" Morrison raised his eyebrows. Cena grinned. "I would assume so, yes. Would you like to go ask her?" Morrison laughed again. "Hell no. I think she's just as crazy as Kane…only he's more Jason Voorhees or Leatherface crazy. She's Hannibal Lecter crazy." Cena shook his head again. "Well, she _does _look at Edge like she could eat him alive." They both laughed at this and Cena walked inside to the bar.

"Hey, Gabrielle, could I talk to you for a minute?" She turned around, eyes cold. "Yes. You can. Have a seat." She gestured to the stool beside her; he sat down. "You know, I was just wondering…well, some of the guys were wondering why you agreed to join this team if you're not going to hang out with us." She considered him silently for a moment, then drained her glass. "Cena…I didn't know this was supposed to be a social club I was joining. I thought this was a war." Cena looked back at her. "It is a war, you're right, but we-I-find it a little strange that you don't want to even just be friendly with us. Well, I can understand Jericho and Edge, but…" Her lips quivered slightly, as if she wanted to smile and had forgotten how. "Cena, if you haven't noticed…I don't have any friends. I don't talk with anyone else on the roster. I don't have friends outside of the business. I don't have family…the only people I have in my life is Kane…and the Undertaker." She looked at the empty glass in front of her for a moment. "I don't even know how to _make _friends. It was never important." Cena sighed. "Gabrielle…I would like to be your friend. With everything you're going through, I don't think you should try to go it alone."

She looked at him, and he saw the distrust in her eyes, the unbelief at his words. Then she looked away, and sighed. "You're the damnedest human being I believe I have ever met. You were born in the wrong time. You should have been a knight, fighting for his lady love…chivalry is definitely not dead with you." She laughed softly at his puzzled expression. "No…it's okay. I know you're not trying to hit on me, Cena. You're just so damned goodhearted it's frightening." She signaled for another beer, raising her eyebrows at Cena. He nodded. "I'll have a Bud Light," he said. She made the order with the bartender, then turned back to John. "You know, it's funny. Kane told me one time that the only man in the WWE he trusted to not sneak attack him besides the Undertaker was you. I guess I should take his advice. I would like…to be your friend…."

Cena smiled. "I'm glad to hear that." Their beers came and they started to talk, just small talk, and Gabrielle never thought that she would be treading this unknown road…first falling in love, and now simple friendship…

That night, Gabrielle sat in her hotel room. The tv was off; one light was on in the bathroom; the rest of the room was darkness. She sat on the bed, wearing a tshirt and shorts. Her mind was reeling; she didn't like being so far away from Kane, especially in his injured state. She wanted him there with her, holding her in his arms, kissing her…

"Better calm down there, Little Sister," a familiar voice said from the corner of the room, and she sat up, green eyes wide. She looked over at the chair where the voice had come from; in the darkness, she could almost make out the shape of a person sitting there…

"Undertaker," she whispered. "Are you…" "…Am I really here? No; only in spirit, not in body. Not yet, anyway. I came to check on you." Gabrielle sat frozen on the bed; she only half-realized she might be dreaming but pushed that thought to the side. "Everything is going as well as possible, I suppose. I joined Cena's team…I'm going to get revenge for us, for Kane and you and I. For what they've done." The shape sat silently for a moment. "This pain you're experiencing…it's different from physical pain, isn't it?" Gabrielle nodded. "Yes. I would rather have my heart torn out of my chest than feel like this. I've never felt like this before." "Do you love him? Do you love my brother?" Gabrielle looked at the shape, trying to think of how to explain. Finally she sighed. "I love him with every part of my being. I love him with every part of my soul. I love him so much I hurt, all the time…only that pain is good. That pain I can live with. The pain of sitting here without him, knowing he's hurt and alone? I would rather die…" The shape nodded. "Good…that's why I sent you to him. You've paid your debt to me, Little Sister." Gabrielle shook her head. "Never…I can never repay you for this, Undertaker. I can never repay you for bringing me to Kane, for bringing us together." The shape shrugged, chuckling softly. "If you say so…just promise me something else." Gabrielle sat up straight. "Anything," she said. "When Kane wakes up…you tell him what happened the night I saved you. Tell him the truth." Gabrielle stared at the shape, struck silent by his words. "But…I'm afraid, Undertaker…I'm afraid-" "-afraid he would be upset? Possibly. But if you love him as you say you do, then tell him the truth. He deserves it." Gabrielle grabbed her hair in both hands and pulled, hard enough to pull out a few strands. "Yes…he does. I promise you…I promise you I'll tell him the truth…" There was silence from the chair. Gabrielle got up slowly from the bed, walking over to the dark corner. She flipped on the lamp beside the chair…and it was empty….


	10. Chapter 10

"Wake up, Kane. Wake up, Little Brother."

_I can't wake up…it hurts too much…_

"Oh please, don't give me that bullshit. The angst crap got old a long time ago. Wake up!"

_God, why can't you just shut up and leave me alone? Why are you always on my back about SOMETHING?_

"Lose the attitude, Little Brother. Wake up. She needs you."

_She? Who…SHE? GABRIELLE? WHERE IS SHE?_

"Calm down. She's fine; well, she's safe, I'll put it that way. But you need to get your cracked ass out of this bed and out to L.A. SummerSlam's tomorrow and you need to be there."

_SummerSlam? What the hell are you talking about now?_

"I'm talking about Gabrielle went and joined up with John Cena and his merry crew, that's what I'm talking about. She's a tough bitch, Kane, but the Nexus is going to do everything they can to get their hands on her. They're going to make an example of her to the rest of the Divas…teach them not to put their noses in 'men's business', or some shit like that."

…

"Kane? You still with me?"

_I'll kill them if they touch her. You know I can. You know I WILL._

"I know that…that's why I told you. Gonna wake up now or do I have to tell you something else mindblowing?"

Kane opened his eyes. The room was dim; it was almost dawn. His head hurt, his left arm hurt, everything hurt. He sat up slowly, feeling the bandage around his head. He started pulling the wires attached to his body off, causing the monitors to start their alarms. A nurse rushed in and saw him. "Sir, please, you can't do that, you have to lay back down-" He looked up at her, face contorted with rage, and she shut up, backing out of the room. The cast around his left arm pissed him off even more and he punched it; it cracked slightly. He threw the sheets off of him and got out of bed; he walked over to the closet, opening it and finding his clothes that Gabrielle had brought for him. Thinking of her made him hurt in other ways; he tore the hospital gown off, leaving him naked. He worked slowly, slipping on a pair of boxers, a black tshirt, and a gray pair of jogging pants the best he could with one arm. He found a pair of socks and his running shoes; he sat on the bed and got them on. The doctor walked in just as Kane stood up, easily two heads taller than the other man. The doctor looked up at his patient. "Kane…please…you have to get back in bed. You're not fully healed." Kane sneered at him. "I have to be in Los Angeles by tomorrow; I don't have time for this." The doctor shook his head. "If you experience another head trauma, it could be a lot more serious than the last time. I'm just looking out for you." Kane shook his head. "Things are going to get a LOT more serious if you don't get out of my way." The doctor looked at Kane's eyes, and saw murder; he quickly stepped to the side and Kane left. "I'm coming, Gabrielle," he muttered under his breath. "I'm coming and God help anyone who gets in my way…"

Gabrielle sat straight up in bed, breathing hard. She couldn't recall the dream, but Kane and the Undertaker were both involved…and it hadn't been good. She ran a shaking hand through her hair and looked at the bedside clock: 3:42 am. She got out of bed, went to the bathroom, and flipped on the light. She looked at herself in the mirror and noticed for the first time how thin her face was getting. She looked down at herself; how much weight had she lost, 10, 15 pounds? There were dark circles under her eyes and she felt like hell. It wasn't just Kane getting hurt, it wasn't just being 2000 miles away from him…it was just _everything. _The emotions that had suddenly taken over her usually calm and logical world, the pain, everything. She clapped her hands to her face, covering her eyes. "This is not me," she whispered defiantly to no one. "This is not how I am supposed to be, this is not me…"

_But it IS you now, whether you like it or not. This is who you are now. The loner, the bitch, she's been pushed to the back. The woman pining for her man…that's YOU._

She took her hands from her face slowly, pulling her skin with her fingers. She looked at herself again, _forced _herself to look.

This was all the Undertaker's fault.

There. She said it. Well, not really.

"This is all HIS fault," she whispered, saying it out loud and cringing inside at the words. It had all really begun that night, the night she had never explained completely to Kane. The night she had almost died.

She closed her eyes and for only the second time in her life, felt tears trying to well up under her eyelids. "No!", she shouted, finally losing control and punching the mirror. It shattered completely, spilling shards of glass into the sink. She looked at her hand; blood was pouring from the dozens of cuts in her pale skin. "Fuck," she muttered, and grabbed a towel from the sink, wrapping it around her hand tightly.

There was a pounding on her door. "Gabrielle? Are you okay?"

Cena.

"Fuck," she sighed again and walked to the door, throwing it open. John Cena stood there, bare-chested and barefooted, wearing only a pair of gym shorts. His right arm was raised, frozen in mid-pound at the sight of her. "What the hell happened?" She shrugged. "The bathroom mirror and I…had issues." He barged in, looking at her towel-covered hand, where blood was already beginning to bloom through the material. "Let me see that," he said, taking her hand and unwrapping it. She thought briefly about punching him with her bloody hand, but the rage was gone, seeming to drain out of her along with her blood. "Jesus, Gabrielle…you've really done a number on it. You might need stitches." She pulled her hand away from his, wrapping the towel back around it. "It can wait til the morning," she said. He gaped at her. "Gabrielle, this tough bitch crap is really wearing thin on me. You're losing a lot of blood; you need to get that looked at!" John looked at her, and she couldn't handle it anymore; he was so fucking kind, so fucking goodhearted. She went over to the bed and flopped down. She stared at the floor for a long moment; John stood silently, knowing she had something to say but not wanting to butt in. She finally looked back up at him, and his eyes widened.

Her green eyes that he had seen so cold, so distrusting so many times, sparkled with unshed tears. He took a step towards her and stopped, unsure of what to do next. Gabrielle looked at him, eyes still swimming with tears. "If you want to be my friend, John, then please help me. I can't believe I'm even saying that, but I can't take anymore. Please help me." She held out her unhurt hand to him and he went to her, kneeling down in front of her and taking her hand gently. She looked into his eyes again and confirmed the only fact that mattered: John Cena was not trying to put any moves on her. He looked at her and saw a friend in need, not a woman who was potentially vulnerable. That was all that mattered to her. "What do you need?" he asked. "Just tell me. I'll try to do what I can." She closed her eyes, and the tears began to run down her pale cheeks; he suddenly realized how thin she was, and how much of a toll this whole situation was taking on her. He patted her hand. She opened her eyes and looked at him. "I've never been in love, John. I've never cared about anyone. The last couple of months, I feel like I've been on some crazy roller coaster. Getting close to Kane was one thing; falling completely and totally in love with him was something else. I didn't expect it and neither did he. But for the first time in my life, I had hope. I had something to look forward to. I was…I was _happy. _And then the Nexus came and took all that away from me. They crushed my heart. So then I wanted to hurt them as much as they hurt me. And then you came along." She looked up at him, and for the first time, smiled gently at him. "Your heart is huge, John Cena. Your soul is pure. I never expected to have a friend, but here you are. And I am thankful." She pulled her hand out of his and in another startling gesture, opened her arms to him. He smiled at her and hugged her; she hugged him back. When they parted, she wiped her face with her unhurt hand, looking slightly embarrassed. John got up and sat beside her on the bed. "I think you just needed someone to listen, didn't you?" She nodded. "Yes, I did…maybe if Kane hadn't been attacked, things would be different…but they're not. I've had all this building up inside for so long, John. I'm glad you were here…" He smiled again and patted her shoulder. "I'm glad I was too. Now, that we've got that out of the way, will you please go see a doctor about your hand?" She nodded almost sheepishly. "Yes, I will. First thing in the morning-" John broke in. "-no. We're going to the emergency room just as soon as I can get back to my room and throw some clothes on. You do the same; I'll drive." She looked at him and shook her head, smiling again. "Whatever you say, big brother." They both stood up and Gabrielle walked to the door with John. He went to open the door, then turned back to her. "We're going to get those bastards, Gabrielle. And Kane's going to be fine; you'll see." She looked back at him, then kissed his cheek. "Thank you," she said simply. He sketched a little salute at her and walked out. She looked at the closed door for a moment, then walked over to the closet to find some decent clothes. She found her WWE Kane tshirt hanging up and touched it. "I love you, Kane," she whispered, wishing he could hear her. "I'll be back as soon as I take care of things here for us…"

She took the shirt off the hanger and began to get dressed….

**Poor Gabrielle, right? :D She's coming apart at the seams. And don't worry; Cena's not trying to move in and she's not falling for him. I hope everyone is enjoying the story. I appreciate all the kind reviews and comments. See you next chapter!**


	11. Chapter 11

The day of SummerSlam had finally arrived. Team WWE sat in their locker room discussing their main event match with the Nexus. Gabrielle sat beside John Cena, her right hand bandaged neatly. She had needed stitches for the worst of the cuts; her hand throbbed dully with pain, but she welcomed it. Being right handed, she knew she would be inflicting more pain with that hand than she was feeling, and that would be very soon. After John brought her back to her room yesterday morning, she had gone back to sleep and dreamt of Kane. He was asleep on a plane, and he was dreaming of her. She tried to speak to him, but he couldn't hear her. After she had woke up, she thought how strange that dream had been; Kane surely wasn't on a plane, after all….was he?

"So that's it, guys," John was saying. "If we can just isolate each one of them, we can take them out one by one. I know it's not going to be easy, though." Edge snorted and looked at Chris Jericho, who smirked back at him. Gabrielle looked at Edge with one raised eyebrow; he saw her gaze and quickly looked away. As much as she had tried to get along with all of them, she would never like Edge, not after what Kane had told her. "Does anyone have anything else they want to add to this?" Cena asked the group. John Morrison, R-Truth, and the Great Khali shook their heads. Bret Hart shook his. Jericho looked at Cena for a moment, and Gabrielle silently dared him to say something sarcastic. Instead, Jericho shook his head slowly. Edge was last to shake his head. "We'll do what we have to do," he said quietly. Cena clapped his hands together. "All right then. I guess it's time to just sit back and wait." Gabrielle looked up at the clock on the wall; it was just after 8 pm, and the show had just begun. "Nothing to do but wait," she muttered to herself softly. Revenge was only 2 hours away…

The plane landed, and Kane woke up abruptly. He had dreamt of Gabrielle, as always; he wanted to bury his face in her hair, hold her close and worship her body with his lips. When all this insanity was over, he intended to do exactly that. He wanted to find a hotel room and lock the two of them inside for at least a day, maybe two. They had a lot of catching up to do.

He looked at his watch and saw it was just after 8 pm. Damn it! The pay per view had just started, and it was going to be hell trying to get a cab to the Staples Center. As luck would have it, however, he got the first cab he hailed. He told the cabbie his destination and handed the guy a hundred dollar bill. The cabbie stared in amazement. "That's gonna be way more than the fare, even for a tip, big fella," he said. Kane shrugged. "Keep the change. Just get me there as quick as you can." The cabbie's eyes lit up. "You got it!" he said jovially, and drove off. Kane sat back in his seat and closed his eyes. _I'm coming, Gabrielle, _he thought to himself. _Just hold on, my love…just hold on…_

10:03 pm. Gabrielle heard the Nexus' music hit; the rest of the group stood up. "That's our cue," Cena said. They all walked out to the entrance. Cena's music hit and the team walked out. The first thing that struck Gabrielle was the crowd; she had never seen so many people in one place in her entire life and it was a little overwhelming at first. The roar from the crowd was deafening as Team WWE walked down the ramp towards the ring. She saw the Nexus standing there and that red fog of rage began to sink over her vision. _Not yet. I don't need you just yet. Wait. Watch._ Her vision cleared. The ring announcer was calling off all their names; when he called her name, the crowd screamed in delight. She looked around and saw several signs the fans had made of her, one a beautifully drawn portrait of her and Kane. She wished she could ask the fan for that sign after the match, but she knew she was going to have other things on her mind…namely bashing the smirk off of Wade Barrett's face. She took her place beside the ring, ready to assist if any of the team needed her…or even if they didn't…

10:05 pm. Kane ran through the backstage area, frantically searching for Gabrielle. The cab had run into a huge snarl of traffic and they had been late getting to the arena. The cabbie kept apologizing over and over, afraid he was going to lose his tip; Kane ignored his pleas and shoved another hundred in the guy's face as he jumped out of the cab "Thanks mister!" the cabbie yelled, but Kane didn't hear him. He found Rey Misterio coming out of one dressing room. "Where is she?" Kane asked, trying not to raise his voice too much. Rey gaped but knew exactly who Kane was talking about. "Their match just started a few minutes ago. I just looked at it on the closed circuit. Nothing's really going on right now." Kane turned to go, then stopped. "Is she okay?" "Yes. She's standing ringside, just watching. If you want to go watch it with me, you can keep an eye on everything. No use rushing out there right now." Kane looked at the smaller man and nodded. "Sure…okay." Rey was right; he should just wait. As long as he could see the action and keep an eye on his beloved, he could wait til the match was over. They went back into the dressing room to watch the match…

_Like a disease/spreading death/erasing your existence_….Lyrics from Slayer's latest ran through her brain as she watched the match. David Otunga, Heath Slater, and Skip Sheffield had all been eliminated from the Nexus; R-Truth, the Great Khali, and Bret Hart had been eliminated from Team WWE. Jericho was in the ring with his former protégé Wade Barrett, and it looked like Jericho had the upper hand, at least for now. That hope was quickly erased, however, when Barrett got Jericho in the Wasteland and pinned him. Gabrielle smacked the side of the ring with her left hand; fucking useless Jericho! It was 4 on 3 now; Barrett, Tarver, Gabriel, and Young against Cena, Morrison, and Edge. Barrett tagged in Gabriel as Morrison came into the ring. That pairing quickly ended as Morrison hit Starship Pain on Gabriel and pinned him, evening up the odds. Gabrielle looked on as Tarver stepped into the ring; Morrison stayed in on the defense. She looked up at Cena and Edge; Cena felt her gaze and looked back, smiling a bit. She nodded at him and they both turned back to watch the match….

Kane sat on the edge of his chair the whole time, just waiting for Gabrielle to enter the fray or for one of the Nexus to go over and start something with her. Neither happened, but his tension didn't go away. Every time the camera focused on Gabrielle, his heart wanted to burst. He wanted to run out there and scoop her up, taking her away…but he couldn't. He knew she would never forgive him if he did that; he could see the intensity of her gaze and knew she wanted revenge. He couldn't allow her to do that at the cost of getting hurt, however; so he would continue his vigil….

2 on 1. Barrett and Tarver against Cena. Tarver was in the ring with Cena; Gabrielle stood by, watching, waiting. If John was going to get double-teamed, she wouldn't let it happen. John locked the STF on Tarver, who tapped almost immediately. Barrett slid in the ring and leapt onto Cena's back. Suddenly, the rest of the Nexus reappeared as if by a silent signal. They got into the ring and began beating Cena; the referee signaled for the bell, disqualifying the Nexus. It didn't matter; it had never been their intention to win cleanly. Gabrielle couldn't take it anymore; she got into the ring and grabbed the first one she could get her hands on, who happened to be Darren Young. She forearmed him across the face and gave him a super kick that knocked two teeth out of his mouth. That small victory was short-lived, however, as Wade Barrett grabbed her by the hair. She fought to try to get out of his grip, but couldn't. He held a microphone in his other hand. He dragged her around to look at Cena, who was handcuffed to the ropes. "Now, you meddling bitch," Barrett snarled. "I'm going to let Cena and the rest of the world watch as the Nexus does what we should have done the night we beat the hell out of Kane. You were the brains of that outfit all along, and we're going to make an example of you to any other Diva that wants to get involved in our business." He dropped the microphone and turned her around to face him. Her green eyes were wide with rage. "Do what you will," she growled at him. "Just know that I'm going to make you bleed no matter what."

And then she spit in his face.

Barrett stood there for a moment, then wiped off her saliva, shaking his head as if to say she shouldn't have done that. He slung her to the mat hard….

…and then the pyros went off. It seemed as if the very gates of Hell itself had opened. Kane's music was playing, and Barrett turned around in disbelief. The Big Red Machine was coming down the ring, and he did not look at all injured, except for the cast around his left arm. His face was that of a demon, teeth bared in rage. The rest of the Nexus was scattered in his wake. He got into the ring, and that was when Gabrielle took the opportunity to low-blow Barrett as hard as she could. His eyes flew open in pain and surprise; he fell to his knees, grabbing at his wounded middle. She jumped on him, knocking him on his back, and began punching him with her right hand. Blood began to fly from his nose and also from the stitches she had popped open on her hand. She hit him for what seemed like forever, then hands took her by the shoulders and pulled her away. The red fog of rage had fallen completely over her, and she whirled around, raising her bloody hand.

Kane stood there.

Gabrielle lowered her hand slowly and stared back at him. They looked at each other as if really seeing each other for the first time. She raised her right hand again tentatively and touched his face. She raised the other hand, as if wanting to ensure he was really there, and held his face in both hands. He touched her hair gently, then bent down and kissed her softly. He didn't care that they were standing in front of tens of thousands of screaming fans, he didn't care that John Cena was still handcuffed to the ropes, watching the scene play out with unreadable eyes. The only thing that mattered was Gabrielle, that he was finally here with her. Her arms snaked around his neck and pulled him close. They finally broke the kiss, looking into each other's eyes. Then they embraced, Gabrielle mindful of his broken arm.

Gabrielle turned back to look at John, remembering that he was there. She took Kane by the hand as she walked over to Cena. In his haste, Barrett had dropped the handcuff keys on the mat, and she picked them up, unlocking the cuffs. John rubbed his wrist, then looked up at Kane towering over him; the Big Red Monster's gaze was locked on Gabrielle. Gabrielle took John's hand and helped him up. The three of them stood there looking at each other, then Cena extended his hand to Kane. Kane looked at the hand and for one horrible moment, Cena thought Kane was just simply going to beat the shit out of him and leave him laying. Then Kane's face split in a grin and he grabbed Cena's hand, shaking it. Gabrielle smiled at them both…

**Sorry to leave this chapter like this, but I just couldn't get it finished before the Bengals/Cowboys game!(I love football!)Hopefully I can get another chapter posted sometime this week. Don't worry, the show ain't over yet!**


	12. Chapter 12

An hour after the match had ended, John Cena sat in his dressing room, freshly showered and gathering up his things, shoving them in his bag. The door opened; he turned and saw Gabrielle there. She shut the door quietly behind her. "I just came to see how you were doing," she said. Cena grinned and shrugged. "I've been through worse. Where's Kane?" "He's out in the lobby, waiting. I told him I had to talk to you for a moment." "And he didn't want to kill me?" Cena asked, only half-joking. Gabrielle shook her head, that crooked smile on her face. "I won't let him kill you," she said. "I told him how you've been here for me while he was in the hospital, that you were my friend. I just wish I could have done more out there in that ring." Cena stood up and walked over to her. "You did what you could. Let me tell you something: never let anyone pin the name of Diva on you. Nothing against the rest of the ladies here, but you are, hands down, the toughest woman in the WWE. I am proud to call you my friend, and I know that I can always count on you to have my back." Gabrielle smiled slightly. "Thank you…and now, I guess it's back to SmackDown for me and Kane. There's a lot that still has to be done." They stood there for a moment, silent, then Gabrielle embraced him. "Thank you…for everything," she said softly. He returned the embrace, then they parted. Gabrielle gave him a little wave and walked out of the dressing room. John stood there, looking at the door, and felt an uncharacteristic twist in his gut. He shook his head, then turned back to getting the rest of his gear stowed away.

They lay together in bed, naked, sweating. It had been too long, and it had been so good when they were finally alone. Gabrielle turned on her side, her magnificent white hair falling down, covering her like Lady Godiva. Kane thought she was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. He stroked her smooth cheek with one gentle hand. "I've dreamed of this night for so long," he said. She smiled; he was the only one she would ever smile for so radiantly. "I have too, my love…I have too," she replied softly. "I thought you were going to be in that hospital too long. What happened? What helped you wake up?" Kane turned on his side to face her, his face serious for a moment. "It was him…my brother. He came to me, told me you were in danger. I had to wake up." Gabrielle's smile faded. "What else did he tell you?" Kane shook his head. "He just told me you had joined Cena's team…I'm glad he woke me up. If I hadn't been there…" He refused to finish the sentence. Gabrielle still looked at him, her face betraying a secret that she didn't want to tell. Kane frowned. "What's wrong? What am I missing? Did Cena-" "No!", she interjected. "John is a gentleman, and he's my friend, and that's _all _he is. No…there's something else…something I swore I would tell you. _He _made me promise to tell you…" Kane raised up on his elbow. "What is it, Gabrielle? You told me Taker saved your life, but you never said anything else about that night." Gabrielle sat up, gathering the bed sheet around her. "I didn't tell you because I was…afraid….afraid that you would send me away. But he told me to tell you; he made me promise, and I can't refuse him, damn him to hell!" Her green eyes flashed in a way that made Kane uneasy. "What…please tell me. I love you, Gabrielle, and nothing you say is going to change that." She covered her face with both hands for a moment, then began to speak.

"When he found me, I was near death. I had been walking by myself that night, minding my own business. A group of men had been following me the whole time, but I didn't know it. They attacked me…I tried to fight them the best I could, but I couldn't….I couldn't make them stop. They hurt me…they raped me. All of them. I don't remember how many times and I don't want to. All I know is that they hurt me, they stabbed me and beat me, then left me like a piece of garbage in the alley. I was slowly bleeding out, and I welcomed it…I welcomed death. It was so fucking better than living like that, feeling like I was nothing but a piece of meat that men used badly then threw away. I literally _felt _my life running out of my body, watching the blood pool around me. And then _he _came. He picked me up and carried me away from that filthy alley. I don't know where he took me, but I was unconscious for a long time. I was in a soft bed, in a dark room, and I was healing. At first I didn't want to live, but he came to me and sat next to my bed. He talked to me; he told me of many things, he told me he was going to heal me…he told me he could give me power beyond my wildest dreams. Most of it didn't register at the time, but each day I got stronger, each day my memories of that horrible night faded. And then one day I woke up and he was there, and there was a tube that was running from his arm into mine…Kane, he was giving me his blood. And I think…no, I _know _that's what made me what I am today."

She took her hair in one hand. "You see, my hair used to be red. When I regained full consciousness, he gave me a mirror. My hair was streaked with white. Before I left him, it was fully white. My strength was returning, faster than I thought possible. I don't know what kind of being your brother is, if he's a demon or an angel, but he gave me some of his power, Kane. That's why I shut myself off from the rest of the world for so long. And then he made me promise…he made me promise that in return for his kindness, I would do something for him one day. And I promised." Gabrielle stopped, seemingly unable to go on. Kane sat up and touched her bare shoulder. "Please tell me," he said softly. She sighed. "The night before I left…I slept with him. It was never my intention to do so, but it was his way of sealing the deal, so to speak. That was the first and only time I've done that, Kane, I swear to you. I never…never again. Not until you." She turned to look at him, her emerald eyes swimming with tears. He stared at her for a long moment. Then he took her by the shoulders and kissed her, pressing her naked body to his. When they parted, he took her chin in one hand. "I don't care. I don't claim to understand my brother, but I know when you look at me, you don't see him. You see _me_. You see the man who would die for you. The past is the past, and in another time, I would have gotten angry. I don't want to do that. I know what I have with you is real, and I'm not going to do anything to jeopardize that. I love you with everything I am, Gabrielle. No one is ever going to hurt you again as long as I'm here."

She smiled at him, tears falling down her cheeks and kissed him back. They sank back down to the bed, Kane moving over top of her, hard against her soft secret center. And as they began to make love again, neither noticed the pair of green eyes watching them from the darkest corner of their room….


	13. Chapter 13

He was dreaming, and it was one of the worst kind: when you _know _you're dreaming, but you can't wake up. And he so wanted to wake up from this one, but his body and mind had turned traitor on him.

Or maybe his big brother didn't want him to wake up until he was finished.

Kane stood in semi-darkness, a thigh-high mist covering the ground. There were no distinguishing landmarks anywhere around him; he might as well have been in hell, except he knew hell wasn't dark. It was hot. And it burned.

There was a figure standing before him, the face hidden in the shadows, but Kane knew who it was. "Brother?" he asked. The figure nodded and moved closer, and Kane could see his brother's piercing green eyes staring out of his dead-white face. "Welcome, Little Brother," the Undertaker rumbled. Kane looked around. "What is this place? Why did you bring me here?" Taker clasped his hands in front of him. "I brought you here because she finally told you the truth. And you don't want to crush my windpipe with your bare hands?"

Kane shook his head. "No, of course not. Gabrielle told me everything. She did what she had to do. No wonder she's so loyal to you." Taker moved closer, where Kane could see his face, and sneered. Kane hadn't seen that look on his brother's face for a very long time, not since Kane had come back after Taker thought he had died in the fire. "You don't want to kill me? You're weaker than I thought you were, then." Kane froze. "WHAT did you say?" he asked incredulously. Taker spread his hands. "You heard me. I thought I taught you better than that. She's made you weak, Little Brother. She's taken the very core of your soul from you." Kane took a step forward. "What the hell are you talking about? YOU sent her to ME! YOU sent her to help me find your attackers, and she did. What do you want from me?"

Taker's face smoothed out into an emotionless mask, and Kane knew his brother was gone. The Demon of Death Valley was here. "I saved Gabrielle's life…but I saved it for _myself. _Not for you. Not for her. I saw something I wanted badly enough to give a little bit of myself to keep, and I did it. She did exactly what I wanted her to…except for one thing. She fell in love with you. How in the bloody hell that happened, I don't know. But I do know one thing: she's done with you. When I call her, she'll come running." Kane took another step towards Taker, his hands curling into fists. "Oh no she won't," he said in a deadly soft voice. "She _loves _me. She belongs to ME. You try what you must…but I'm warning you, brother. You try to take her from me, and I'll destroy you." Taker shook his head. "You have no idea what kind of hell you're going to unleash, Little Brother." Kane's face contorted in a mask of rage. "Brother, I AM HELL! You of all people should know that! You MADE me what I am, and you'll burn for it in the end!" The corner of Taker's mouth curled up in a humorless smile. "We'll see…we'll see where Gabrielle's loyalties lie. You forget one thing: my blood is in her veins. She's my creation, Little Brother. She'll know when to come back home…" He turned to walk away, leaving Kane fuming, then stopped. He looked over his shoulder. "Oh yeah, one more thing: that's whore's one great fuck, ain't she?" Kane's control broke and he roared, rushing at his older brother with hands outstretched-

-and sat straight up in bed. Sweat poured down his naked torso. He turned and saw Gabrielle turned on her side, still sleeping. He hadn't cried out then, thank hell. He grabbed his head for a moment, then got out of bed and went to the bathroom as quietly as he could, shutting the door behind him. He flipped on the light and looked at himself in the mirror, mismatched eyes staring back at him. "I'll kill you, brother," he whispered, hoping Taker could hear him somehow. "If you think you can take her away from me…I'll kill you. Like I should have done so long ago." He flipped off the light and went back to bed. He moved close to Gabrielle and slipped an arm around her, pulling her closer to him. "Never, brother," he whispered. "Never, never, never….."

**I know this chapter's kind of short, but it's something I just had to get out. The muses are dancing, my friends! Stay tuned!**


	14. Chapter 14

Kane woke up the next morning to find Gabrielle was already up. In fact, she was already dressed, wearing a sleeveless black tshirt and jeans. She sat in a chair beside the window, watching him. Her face was blank, but her eyes were burning. "Gabrielle?" Kane sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "He came to you last night, didn't he?" She asked in a tight voice, and Kane realized she was close to losing complete control of her temper. He nodded, swinging his legs out of bed and slipping on his jogging shorts. "Yes, he did." He didn't know what else to say. Gabrielle's bandaged right hand crept up to her hair, and she wound a lock of it around her hand, pulling tight; it was how she dealt with stress instead of screaming. "I know what he told you," she said as calmly as she could. "He told you he wanted me back, didn't he? He told you I belonged to him, didn't he?" Kane could only nod; he was beginning to fear if he spoke, that would set her off. Gabrielle's hand pulled tighter, threatening to pull the hair out by the very roots. "I don't know what kind of game he's playing, but he's making fools of us. And I don't…._appreciate_…it." Kane ran a hand over his bald head, sighing. He finally spoke: "I knew my brother was capable of cruelty, of evil….but I don't understand his motives. Did he send you to me to taunt me? Did he send you to build me up, only to tear down what's left of my soul?"

Gabrielle took her hand from her hair; her eyes were absolutely unreadable at that moment. "He told me to be your angel. He asked me if I loved you. He told me to make sure _no one_ ever hurt you again!" She stood up, tears swimming in her emerald eyes, but they were tears of rage. The red fog was falling over her again, and this time she welcomed it. "He LIED to me, Kane! He might as well have been one of the bastards that raped me!" Her hands curled into fists. "He's going to regret he EVER touched me. He's going to regret playing with us….he's going to regret he was ever fucking born!" Kane leapt up from the bed as soon as he realized what she was going to do, which was to smash her fist into the hotel room wall. He moved faster than normal, catching her by the arms. She screamed, all the rage, all the anguish of the betrayal pouring out of her, and he knew that sound. How many times had he himself cried out like that? He wrapped his arms around her; her body was a bundle of nerves, violently trembling against him. "Shhh, my darling," he whispered into her hair. "Shhh, don't do that. Save your strength. Save your hate. You're going to need it in the coming days." He felt her hot tears falling on his bare arms. "He made me into a monster, Kane," she hissed. "He took what was left of my humanity and made me into something else." Kane turned her around to face him. "He made me a monster, too, Gabrielle. But he didn't take everything away from us. If we were truly monsters, would we have the capacity to love?" She looked up at him, tears staining her lovely pale skin. "No…that's one thing he didn't take away…maybe that's the one thing he never counted on. That we _could _love, and that we could love each other." He kissed her forehead gently. "No matter what he tries to do, he's not going to take you away from me. No one will ever do that." She laid her head against his chest, feeling his heartbeat. "He'll have to kill me first," Gabrielle muttered. "And if that happens…I'm taking him to hell with me." Kane held her tighter. "Don't talk like that, please! He's not going to hurt you, he's not going to touch you. Not as long as I'm around."

Gabrielle wrapped her arms as far around his massive torso as she could and closed her eyes. "I love you, Kane," she whispered. "Without you…I would be that woman in the alley. I would be nothing. I told you before…your brother may have saved my life, but you saved my soul." They stood like that, just holding each other, for a long time, both of them knowing moments like that would be few and far between in the coming days…


	15. Chapter 15

_Smackdown, that night…_

"He's here." The moment she uttered those two words, Kane felt something cold twist inside his gut. They already knew the Undertaker was no longer in the hospital; he had checked himself out the day before, but until now, they had no idea where he was.

Kane turned to her after he finished putting on his boots. Gabrielle was staring at the wall as if seeing something there. "Is he in the arena?" Kane asked. Gabrielle nodded. "Yes. He's close…somewhere…" Kane got up and slammed a fist into the nearest locker, denting the door. That woke Gabrielle up from the near-trance she was in. She got up from the bench she was sitting on and went to him.

"Don't," she said quietly. "Why should I?" Kane shot back angrily. "My brother's been playing you and I like fools! Now he's treating you like a toy he let me borrow, and now he wants you back! I'm not going to fucking stop! Not until he pays for everything he's done…" She wrapped her arms around his waist, looking up at him. "Kane, dear heart, I know how you feel. But we have to be rational about this. Losing our temper isn't going to beat the Undertaker." She kissed his bare chest. "Believe me when I say we're going to make him regret the day he was born. Believe that."

Kane sighed, relenting, and hugged her to him. "Everything I've been through with him, and all he wants to do is make my life miserable. I just don't understand him at all." He rested his head on top of hers, smelling the scent of her hair, breathing it in like a drug. She _was _a drug to him; he was completely and utterly addicted to her; he could be himself with her and know that she wouldn't leave him. But their world was being threatened by the very person who had brought them together in the first place, and Kane wouldn't stand it.

"I don't understand him either, but that's why I have go out there," Gabrielle said softly. Kane let go of her and backed up a step. "Go out there?" he asked. She nodded. "I'm going to the ring. I'm calling him out." Kane stared at her as if she had grown another head. "What? Calling him out? Not by yourself, you're not." Gabrielle crossed her arms in front of her breasts.

"Kane, you of all people should know that I can take care of myself by now," she said, her voice calm, but he could hear the dangerous undercurrent beneath it. He called it her "Don't Fuck With Me" voice. He wouldn't back down, though. "Gabrielle…do you know what he's capable of? Do you know how many women I've seen him choke slam and Tombstone? He doesn't care if you're male or female, he'll take you out." She uncrossed her arms, one hand stealing to grab a lock of her hair, and he knew he was pushing it. "I don't care," she said in that deadly soft voice. "He's not going to treat me like some whore. I belong to _you_, and no one is going to change that."

Kane sighed. "Baby, please don't do this," he said. Gabrielle took her hand away from her hair and walked to him. She caressed his face. "I have to," she whispered. "I'm doing this for us, darling. Whatever happens, well, let it happen. But he's going to hear it from the source: I am NOT the woman to be messed with. He'll understand that if he understands nothing else." She stood on tiptoe to kiss him; he kissed her back feverishly. "I love you," he said softly. "I'll be watching." She kissed him again, then put on her long black leather coat and left the room. Kane walked back to the bench and sat down heavily. His eyes fell on the closed circuit television mounted on the wall. "I will be watching, Big Brother," he muttered. "I wouldn't do anything stupid if I were you."

Kane's music and pyros hit, and the crowd was a little puzzled to see Gabrielle walk out by herself. But they cheered for her just the same. She could hear them, but it was far away. She was focused on only one thing at the moment. She entered the ring and took a mic. The camera focused on her face, and her eyes were hard. "Everyone knows who attacked the Undertaker, who put him out of commission for months. The Nexus was taken care of at SummerSlam. But I'm not here to talk about that." She paced around the ring as she spoke, her black coat swirling around her. "I'm here to talk about the Undertaker, the man you people have been cheering on for so long. He sent me to find out who his attackers were. He sent me to help his brother Kane. You all know that as well. What you don't know, is that he set us up." A puzzled murmur from the crowd. "He may as well have paid the Nexus to beat him up, I don't know for sure. It's a long story, but suffice it to say I owed him a debt. I was loyal…then I met Kane. I don't think the Undertaker actually thought we would work together so well, but when we did, he encouraged it. He told me to be Kane's angel…and so I have been."

She stopped for a moment in the middle of the ring, head bowed as if thinking. She raised her head again, and the anger in her eyes was noticeable. "But now we find out everything has been according to _his _plan, and that plan was to completely destroy Kane once and for all. He wanted to use me to do it, then he expected me to come crawling back to him like a dog. I think not! You gravely underestimated me, Undertaker; I am not your pawn. I am not your toy." She turned to look at the ring entrance. "That's why I'm going to tell you right now, come out here and face me like a man. No more dreams, Undertaker…they've all become nightmares."

The crowd gasped at her words, then the arena turned dark. The bong of the church bells rang throughout the arena; lightning flashed and the Undertaker's music hit. Through the swirling fog he came, the Reaper of Souls himself. His face was emotionless as always as he made his slow entrance to the ring. When he finally entered the ring, he took a mic of his own and turned to face Gabrielle.

There was absolutely no fear in her eyes or her body language whatsoever. They stared at each other for a long moment. Then the Undertaker spoke. "Little Sister….why would you want to accuse me of such things? I was the one who sent you to my brother in good faith." Gabrielle shook her head. "Liar! You put on a mask for these people around you; if only they knew the REAL Undertaker. Why do you lie to me? I know what you said to Kane. I know you told him I was coming back to you. I don't belong to you! I never did!"

Undertaker shook his head, and there was a glint in his green eyes. "Your _soul_ belongs to me, Gabrielle. You've known that since day one. That's why when I call for you, you'll come. On your hands and knees if I so wish it." There. It was out finally, and the crowd didn't know what or who to believe. Gabrielle stared at him, rage coursing through her body. "I'll do no such thing, for you or anyone else! Your ego has gotten too big for you. You forget when you saved my life, you also gave me a little of your power." She raised her right hand, still bandaged from the mirror she broke. She slowly unwound the bandage and dropped it to the mat. She held her hand up so that the camera could show the cuts that had seemed to be scarring her skin were gone. Her skin was smooth, as if nothing had ever happened. "_You _made this possible. Only you made one mistake: I'm not one of your zombie druids that does your every bidding. My name is Gabrielle, I'm in love with Kane, and there's nothing you or anyone else can do to change that."

Undertaker's eyes grew dark. "You have no idea what you're messing with, Little Sister," he said warningly. A slow, humorless smile curved her red lips. "Neither do you," she said calmly. And then, without warning, her right hand flashed out and punched him squarely on the jaw. Caught by surprise, Taker rocked back on his heels. The crowd was wild, but their screams grew louder as Taker's eyes rolled back in his head and he grabbed Gabrielle by the throat. Both microphones hit the mat, forgotten. Her emerald eyes simply stared at him. He raised her in the air, watching her face for any sign of weakness, any sign that she would break down like any normal female would. There was nothing.

They stood there in frozen tableau as Kane's music and pyros hit again, and the Big Red Machine himself walked down the ramp. He stopped at the side of the ring, looking at his brother. Taker looked back at him, baring his teeth in a horrible grin. "Don't do this!" Kane screamed, trying to make himself heard over the crowd. Undertaker turned back to face Gabrielle; defiant green eyes stared back at him, unwavering. And for the first time, her mouth split in a wide grin that was totally without humor and not much sanity to boot.

She spit in his face, just as she had done to Wade Barrett at SummerSlam.

Taker growled and slammed her to the mat as hard as he could. Kane grabbed both sides of his head and roared. He started towards the ring-and the lights went out. When they came back on, Undertaker was gone. Gabrielle lay crumpled on the mat, her white hair fanned out behind her. Kane scrambled into the ring and scooped her up in his arms; she was breathing, but unconscious. He cradled her to him, rocking back and forth, burying his face in her hair. Referees and EMT's were trying to get into the ring, but Kane stood up suddenly, Gabrielle in his arms like a child. He pushed through them without much resistance and left the ring, carrying his beloved back to their dressing room.

He went inside and laid her down on the sofa. He knelt beside her, smoothing her hair back from her face. He kissed her eyelids, her cheeks, her lips. "I swear to you," he said through clenched teeth. "I swear to you, my love. My brother is damned from this moment on. My brother is damned to HELL!" He rested his face in her hair as hot tears began to run down his cheeks, and they stayed like that in silence for a very long time….


	16. Chapter 16

There was a knock on their hotel room door, and Kane chose to ignore it; whoever it was, they could just go away and leave him and his beloved alone. Gabrielle lay in their bed, a sheet pulled up to her neck to keep her warm. She was still unconscious, but breathing normally. Kane expected her to come out of it any time now.

The knock came again and Kane growled low in his throat. "Who the fucking hell is it?" he said. "It's John." John?

"It's John Cena, Kane. Please…let me in." Cena? Here? Kane grabbed his head in both hands; things were getting too much for him to handle, but Gabrielle trusted Cena…Kane threw open the door. John Cena stood there in a tshirt and blue jeans shorts. He wore no cap on his head, leaving his head strangely bare. "What…do…you WANT?" Kane breathed. Cena stood his ground. "I came to check on Gabrielle, Kane. I came to make sure she's okay."

Kane looked at him with his mismatched eyes. "What, do you have some kind of crush on her?" Cena shook his head slowly. "It's not like that…she's my friend. She helped me with the Nexus. I don't want her to be suffering in any way." Cena stood his ground with the Big Red Machine, both staring at each other in a way that was strangely like claiming territory. Kane finally growled again and stepped aside, gesturing Cena into the room. John stepped inside as Kane slammed the door shut. John walked to the foot of the bed; Gabrielle was pale, much more pale than usual. Her breathing was slow and regular. Cena shook his head. "I can't believe that bastard would do this," he said. Kane laughed sarcastically. "My brother is capable of just about anything, Cena. I didn't expect anything better of him." John moved to sit on the bed opposite Gabrielle, but Kane moved in his way

Cena sighed. "Look, Kane, when are you going to trust me? Gabrielle is my _friend_, nothing more. When can you accept that?" Kane stared at him for a long time. "Have you ever had a woman tell you things that you believed, Cena? Have you ever had a woman whisper that you're the only one? Have you ever had a fucking _bitch_ stab you in the back time and time again? I HAVE! Tori, Chyna….fucking _Lita_…they ALL lied to me. They all told me they loved me, then turned around to rip my heart out. Do you see why I trust no one except _her?_" pointing at Gabrielle. "Do you think for one second I'm going to let someone else try to take her away from me?" John looked at Kane, and saw the utter pain and despair in his eyes. "Kane…you don't have to worry about that with me. I have no other motive than to care about a friend. I, uh….I'd like to be your friend too."

Kane looked at him as if he were insane. "Friend? I have no friends except for Gabrielle. Every so-called friend I've had has also stabbed me in the back. I'm Kane, remember? The Big Red Retard? Don't think I've forgotten that!" John ran a hand over his hair, never losing eye contact with the larger man. "Kane…look, I have never had a problem with you. I can understand your reasoning for not wanting to trust anyone, but I think meeting Gabrielle has changed you for the better."

John walked over and sat down in one of the chairs in the corner of the room. "And I know she loves you. Man, she loves you better than anything. I could see it in her eyes every time she talked about you. That's why she why so determined to take out the Nexus…it wasn't about the Undertaker anymore. It was about _you._"

Kane sank down onto the bed beside Gabrielle, stroking her hair gently. "My brother has no idea what he's done," he said quietly, not taking his eyes away from Gabrielle. "Even if his original plan was to send her here, make me fall in love with her, and then take her away…he should have known better than that. I don't think he counted on her falling for me as well. And that's why he's angry." Kane looked up at John. "The Undertaker is used to having his own way; he's used to having everyone dance for him as he pulls the strings. Not this time…not me, and not her."

John got up from the chair and walked over to the foot of the bed again. "Then let me help you. She helped me when I needed it the most; now I want to return the favor." Kane got up, eyes still distrusting. "On your word, Cena…I want your word that you have no other motive than to help us." John walked over to Kane and extended his hand, just as he had done to Gabrielle so long ago. "I promise you, Kane…I promise both of you." Kane looked at the hand for a moment, then they shook.

At that moment, Gabrielle moaned low in her throat. Both men turned around to look at her. She moved slowly under the bed sheet, as if her whole body was stiff and sore. Her eyes fluttered open. "Kane?" she whispered. "Kane! Where are you?" He ran to her side, kneeling down beside her. "I'm here, baby…I'm here." He ran his hand down her cheek. She brought a hand up to grasp his. Then, as if sensing his presence, she turned and looked directly at John.

"Hello, my friend," she rasped, smiling slightly. John sketched a small salute. "Just came to see how you're doing," he said. She tried to stretch and grimaced in pain; Kane helped her sit up against the pillows. "I've been better…and much worse than this. I know why you're here." John and Kane exchanged a brief glance. "And why is that, Gabrielle?" John asked. She looked at him, and her green eyes were hard. "You came to offer your help, of course."

John nodded. "Yes, I did…and Kane accepted." Gabrielle nodded, as if she expected nothing less. "Good. Now all we need is a plan, but there's just one small catch." Both men looked at her; she looked at them in turn. "He knows what I'm thinking. We're linked, damn it all to hell. And I have no idea how to hide my thoughts." All three looked at each other; John with a puzzled expression, Kane with a growing angry look, and Gabrielle with an unreadable face, looking into space as if there were something there only she could see….


	17. Chapter 17

"Linked?" John said, clearly baffled. Kane merely looked at him. Gabrielle nodded. "Yes…look, it's a long story, but suffice it to say anything we discuss, he's going to know."

John shook his head as if to clear it. "I'm not following you. You mean like telepathy or some shit like that?" Kane snorted. "Yes, that's what she means. My brother saved her life, but he did it using his own blood…and that's the problem." Gabrielle stared at them, then looked directly at John. "You don't believe in the supernatural, do you?" she asked simply. Cena shook his head. "No, never have."

"Then take a look at this." She offered her right hand to him, the hand she had cut so badly when she punched the mirror. He walked over to her and looked. Bent down and looked closer. Finally grabbed her hand in both of his and stared. "What the…holy hell!" He ran a thumb over her previously stitched skin; Kane's eyes narrowed at this exchange, but he said nothing. John looked up at Gabrielle, her green eyes meeting his wide blue ones. "How?" It was the only thing he could think to say.

"The Undertaker gave me transfusions of his blood to keep me alive…that brought about a change in my own physical makeup. I heal much much faster than normal, I'm stronger…but then there's that pesky mind-link." John looked at her, still holding her hand; Kane was about to snatch it out of his grasp, but Gabrielle withdrew it gently. She shot Kane a look with one uplifted eyebrow as if she knew exactly what he was thinking; he gave her a lopsided grin that she couldn't help but return. _I would die for you, you know that,_ he thought, looking into her emerald eyes. Her smile faded just a bit: _Let's hope it doesn't come to that_, he heard in his head faintly.

John was still trying to wrap his head around the whole situation, therefore missing their entire exchange. Gabrielle threw the covers back and swung her long legs over the side of the bed; she was wearing a tshirt of Kane's that came down past her knees. "I've been in this bed long enough," she said, getting up and walking over to the closet to find something to wear. She rummaged through everything before choosing a black leather bustier that was going to show off quite a bit more than she was used to and a pair of jeans. She walked to the bathroom. "Going to take a shower, guys," she said without turning. "Better find something good on tv to watch, with this hair it's gonna take a while." She went inside the bathroom and shut the door. Kane and John looked at each other awkwardly for a moment, then Kane grabbed the remote.

"I don't even WATCH tv," Kane grumbled as he started flipping through the channels. Cena sat down, still trying to comprehend what the hell was going on here.

Gabrielle stood underneath the hot spray of water, completely wetting her hair and body. She simply stood there for a long moment, not reaching for the shampoo just yet. There were so many thoughts running through her head…and Taker could see every one of them. She hated it, hated the exposure; it was like walking around naked for everyone to see. And she especially hated it because it was him. "I can't believe I was so stupid," she mumbled to herself, low enough so that the two men outside the door wouldn't think she was losing her mind. _Although at this juncture, that's a perfectly acceptable thing to do._

Thoughts swirled in her mind; one of them was a memory of Taker bending down to her, kissing her, and she pushed that one away quickly; not so much because it was unpleasant, but because it _wasn't._ The memory of him touching her sparked not gentle feelings, but dark and lustful ones. Kane had always been so gentle, so caring with her; his brother had been rough, even after the rape(which thank God she didn't remember at all). Taker had awakened that animalistic appetite in her, had awakened it as much as he had awakened her from near death.

"I can't let you in," she said through her teeth, the water pounding down on her. "You won't take him away from me, you WON'T." If Kane had been in her with her, Gabrielle was sure she wouldn't be thinking about his brother at all; he had talents she never imagined he would have when she first met him. A small smile came to her face, then she finally pushed it all away and grabbed the shampoo…

"How can you watch this crap?" John Cena asked Kane. Jerry Springer was on the television, his latest episode of utter lunacy unfolding. Kane looked back at John. "Because the people on this show make me feel loads better about my own sanity," he said, grinning a bit. Cena smiled. "And my intelligence," Kane added. John couldn't help but laugh.

The hair dryer, which had been running behind the bathroom door for nearly the last hour, finally shut off. Both men turned in that direction. The door opened and Gabrielle came out; the leather bustier she was wearing pushed up her already impressive bosom. John told himself to drag his eyes away, but he couldn't. He did manage to sneak a peek at Kane, who never noticed Cena's gaze. _Thank God, I didn't come in here to get killed._

Gabrielle was brushing her hair, and she took note of both of them and the way they were looking at her. "Kane, honey, shut your mouth, you're gonna draw flies," she teased. She chose not to say anything to John, for which he was silently grateful. He finally looked away at the tv again, that uncharacteristic twist in his gut again. He wanted to kick himself for what he was thinking, but he was human, damn it! _And she looks so friggin beautiful…_

He found her eyes on him as she brushed her hair and he was almost afraid to return her gaze; he had looked at her not as a friend looks at another friend, but as a man looks at a woman, and he knew she felt very strongly about that. Her face was expressionless, but her eyes were…forgiving? Kane's attention was drawn back to the television for a moment, and John took the opportunity. _I'm sorry, _he mouthed to her. One eyebrow went up as she shrugged, as if to say shit happens. He dared to give her the tiniest hint of a smile and was pleased to see her return it. Then she turned back to Kane, and he saw her eyes as she looked at her beloved, and he was reminded again of the stark truth: he could look at her all he wanted, but she would never look at another man the way she was looking at Kane now.

"Kane, darling, would you mind turning that off now? I think we're sufficiently distracted now." He immediately pushed the Power button on the remote, tossing it behind him on the bed. She finished brushing her hair and walked back to the bathroom to lay it back on the sink.

There was a knock at the door.

All three of them froze. Kane and John looked at Gabrielle, waiting. She looked back at them, shaking her head; no, it wasn't _him. _ Kane got up and walked to the door, looking through the peephole. John saw his shoulders slump and his hands curl into fists. Gabrielle walked over to him. "Who is it?" she asked quietly.

Kane turned back to her, frowning. His mismatched eyes stared at her as if asking for help. "It's…oh shit, it's my _father._ It's Paul Bearer." Gabrielle and John gaped at him. The knock came again, more insistent this time. Kane's shoulders slumped even more, and he reluctantly turned back to the door…


	18. Chapter 18

**Sorry I've been away for so long! I've been sick and just dealing with things. I finally got the next chapter finished and I hope to continue working steadily on this story. Enjoy!**

Kane's shoulders slumped as he turned back to the door, Gabrielle and John watching. He opened the door; Paul Bearer stood there, wearing his signature black suit and red tie. He held something that looked like a bowling ball bag in one hand. He and Kane looked at each other for a moment. Gabrielle took the opportunity to put on a black leather jacket, feeling strangely underdressed.

Paul finally nodded at his son. "Are you going to let me in, son? I didn't come all this way to stand out in the hallway. We've got things to discuss." Kane automatically moved to one side and Paul waddled in. His eyes fell on Gabrielle as he set the bag down on the dresser. "And this must be your young lady?" Kane nodded wordlessly. Paul moved to meet Gabrielle, one hand extended. "May I introduce myself? I'm Kane's father-" "-I know who you are," Gabrielle cut him off smoothly, her voice icy. Paul stopped, his hand going back to his side. John suddenly stood up, clearing his throat. This was a family matter, and he was going to make himself scarce. "Sorry, Gabrielle, Kane. I've got…uh, things to do. I'll see you all later." He nodded politely to Paul and quickly slipped out of the room.

Paul turned to Kane. "Have a seat, son. I told you we had things to discuss and I want to get right down to it." Kane sat on the bed, and Gabrielle's heart hurt to see him so completely obey this man who had caused him so much pain. Kane had told her stories, most of them late at night in bed, of how his father had always made him feel so very small. Bearer was the reason Kane had started wearing the mask in the first place, falsely thinking he was horribly burned in the fire that had killed his mother. Gabrielle seethed inside, but kept silent.

Paul turned to the bag and unzipped it. "I brought you this because I've been following what's been going on. And I know that you and I…well, we haven't gotten along as good as a father and a son should, and that's been my fault." Kane's eyes widened at his father's words. "Are you saying…that's you're _sorry _for everything you did when I was growing up?'

Bearer nodded, face emotionless. "Yes, son. I've been doing a lot of thinking, and I came to realize I was using you to get back at your brother. That's why I made you wear the mask; that's why I made you feel like you were never good enough. I was hoping your anger would be enough to propel you against him." He turned to face Gabrielle, whose shock showed plainly on her face. "I know he's probably told you everything about me, young lady, and I don't blame you for hating me. Not one bit." He turned back to the bag and reached inside. "That's why I brought you this…"

Clutched in his fat fingers was something that Kane hadn't seen for years, something Gabrielle had only vaguely heard of. It was dull with age, battered and dented in places, but Kane's heart leapt at the sight of it.

The urn. The thing that held the secret to the Undertaker's power.

Kane stood up slowly. "Father…does he know you still have this?" Paul shrugged "I don't know, son. I would like to hope he's gotten too wrapped up in all the power he has now and forgotten…but I really don't know." Gabrielle raised one hand to touch the urn, but before one fingertip could even brush its surface, a bolt of pain ripped through her head. She sank to her knees, clutching her head in both hands.

Kane roared, going to her side. "Gabrielle? GABRIELLE? What's wrong?" Gabrielle moaned, the pain throbbing, relentless. "He knows! He knows! HE KNOWS!" She opened her eyes to look at Kane, and he was terrified to see how suddenly bloodshot they were. "Put that thing back in the bag," she hissed. "Put it back before it kills me. Goddammit, he's _killing _me!"

Kane whirled around to face Paul, who was clearly shocked by this turn of events. "Put it away, Father! Please!" Paul nodded and slipped the urn back into the bag, zipping it up. Gabrielle sighed, her hands falling to her sides; she went limp and Kane caught her before she could hit the floor. He cradled her, smoothing her hair away from her face; her skin was clammy and a cold sweat covered her face.

"What the hell happened to her, Father?" Kane asked, still looking at Gabrielle. "The Undertaker has his grip on her, son," Paul said quietly. "I don't know if he did her a favor keeping her from dying or not. And I don't know how to break his hold on her. He's gone beyond what I know."

Kane stood up with Gabrielle in his arms. He looked at Paul, and a tear slipped down his face. "Father…please…I can't lose her, I can't. I would rather die without her. If you came to help me, then please help me…." He hugged Gabrielle to him; her eyes fluttered open and her arms came up around his neck. She turned to Paul, and he saw behind those emerald green eyes; he saw the utter power and darkness that had been thrust upon her unwillingly, and he was afraid.

But he looked at his son's face, his eyes, and knew that no matter what happened, Kane's heart and soul belonged to this woman, and he would walk through the very gates of Hell to keep her safe.

"All right, son. I'll see what I can do. I have some books…hopefully I can find something in them." He picked up the bag. "I'll take this with me…I don't think it's safe to leave with you." Gabrielle spoke up. "I take back what I thought of you earlier," she whispered. "But just know that if you can't help us, all 3 of us will die. That's already been decided."

Paul looked at her and nodded. "I'll do what I can, young lady." He looked at Kane. "I'll be in touch, son." Kane nodded. Bearer turned and left the room. Kane took Gabrielle to the bed and gently laid her down. He helped her out of the leather jacket, then curled up beside her. They lay, foreheads touching.

"Please don't leave me," Kane said softly. "You know I can't bear it." Gabrielle held him tightly. "I won't be going anywhere willingly, my dear," she said. "But you have to know…if I come into contact with that urn again, if I do happen to touch it…" She didn't finish, but tears welled up in her eyes, and Kane's insides froze as he saw they were tinged with blood. He wanted to scream.

"Why is it that the happiest I've ever been in my life has also been the hardest?" he whispered. "Why can't we just be left alone? Why can't we just be _happy?_" Gabrielle put a cool hand to his face. "Darling, I _am_ happy. If everything came to an end tomorrow, I wouldn't regret a single moment I've had with you. The Undertaker had no clue what he was doing when he sent me to you."

She looked into his eyes. "Our love is stronger than his hate. And that is what is going to defeat him. He's never loved, and if he was ever human, he's not now. Do you believe that, Kane? Do you believe our love can overcome his hatred?" He nodded. "Then just trust me…no matter what happens…trust me…" They lay there, forehead to forehead, staring into each other's eyes as lovers do, and he trusted her. He would trust her til the very end.


	19. Chapter 19

**Yeah, here's another chapter...just don't freak out, please!**

John Cena was laying on his hotel room bed; the tv was on but he was paying no attention to it. His thoughts revolved around Gabrielle and Kane. He wondered just what had happened after he had left their room earlier today. He also wondered just what in the hell he had gotten himself into.

"You were supposed to be her friend, you dumbass," he said to himself. And he _had _been…at first anyway. Not that he wasn't now, but in taking stock of his emotions and thoughts about her lately, everything had become confused.

It was pointless, of course. Every time he was with her and Kane, he saw how she looked at her lover. He knew the truth; she would never leave Kane. Ever. And certainly not for a guy who had sworn he was just a friend.

"Such bullshit," he whispered again to no one. He could look at her all he wanted, but the stark truth was that if he ever made a move on her, she would kill him stone cold dead. And then if there were anything left, Kane would dispose of the rest.

"I need a beer," he muttered, and got off the bed. He glanced at the bedside clock: 9:45 pm. The bar would still be open, then. He walked to the door.

There was a knock almost as soon as he put his hand out to open it. He sighed, hoping it wasn't Randy Orton wanting him to hit the clubs with him tonight. He wasn't in the mood for that.

He opened the door. Gabrielle stood there. She had changed her clothes again since this afternoon, forgoing the bustier for a sleeveless black tshirt. He was stunned to see her, more so because of the subtle look of doom in her eyes. Her face was paler than usual.

"Wow, that was quick," she said, trying to make a joke, but it felt forced. "I'm sorry, were you going somewhere?" John took his cap off and scratched his head. "Uh, I was going to the bar, but…what's wrong? Where's Kane?"

"He's asleep. I have to talk to you…alone." Her bright green eyes stared out of that white face almost in desperation, and he couldn't refuse her. "Sure, come in." He moved so that she could come in; he shut the door behind her. Gabrielle walked over to the bed and sat down. John moved as if to sit beside her, then thought better of it and dragged a chair over to sit facing her. "So tell me," he said. "What's going on?"

She looked at him, her face haggard and drawn. "I'm tired, John. Very tired. Things have been happening so fast and I can barely deal with it all." She fell silent, and he knew there was more.

"I need you to promise me something." He leaned forward. "Name it," he said. She looked at him and amazingly, the corner of her mouth turned up in a small grin. "You might have fooled Kane…but you don't fool me, John Felix Anthony Cena, Jr." He gaped at the sound of his full name coming out of her mouth. "What…what are you talking about?" he said weakly, already knowing what she meant.

She leaned over and put her hands over his: he trembled despite his every attempt not to. She looked at him, that half-smile still on her face. "You're in love with me," she stated. His mouth opened, closed, opened again. Gabrielle shook her head. "Don't try to come up with something clever, my friend. I've known for a while."

John looked at the floor. "It was never my intention to do so, Gabrielle. I hope you know that as well." She squeezed his hand. "Yes, I do. But you also know it can never be."

He looked up at her, and she clearly saw the hurt in his eyes, even though he knew what she said was true. "I'm sorry, Gabrielle, I-" "-DON'T apologize, John. You have nothing to apologize for. But now that we have that out of the way, about that promise?"

He nodded slowly.

"Promise me…if anything happens to me, you'll remain friends with Kane."

John's mouth suddenly went dry. He stood up, tearing his hands out of her grasp. "What the hell are you talking about?" he asked in a panicky voice. Gabrielle stood up too, looking at him eye to eye. "You heard me. Either you make the promise or you don't."

John stared back at her. "What makes you think something's going to happen to you? Kane would never allow that to happen." She shook her head. "Kane won't be able to stop it. I'm the only one who can."

"You're not making sense…" He tried to think of something more to say and couldn't. She was looking at him with those bright emerald eyes, and they drove all thought out of his head.

"Your promise, John?" All the humor was gone from her face. She was standing so close to him he could smell her shampoo, and he suddenly realized he couldn't deny her anything. Not ever.

"I promise," he said hoarsely. "Good," she said. "Thank you. You are my true friend, you know." He nodded. She turned as if to leave, then turned back to him. "I really do appreciate you, John." Her eyes were suddenly sad, tears slipping from the corners, and like Kane, he was terrified to see they were bloody. John forgot himself and put his arms around her, pulling her closer. He felt how bony her shoulders were and realized how thin she was again. She laid her head on his shoulder and wept.

"I'm sorry, Gabrielle," he whispered. "I wish there was something I could do to stop you from hurting." A sob ripped through her. "Just keep your promise," she said, muffled against him. "Make sure that if I…leave…Kane doesn't try to follow."

_And what about _me_?_ he thought miserably. _What will I do if something does happen?_

Gabrielle raised her head from his shoulder, as if he had spoken aloud. "You're stronger than you know," she whispered. He looked back at her and before he could stop himself, he brought his lips to hers. He didn't try to force her, didn't try to part her lips. It was just a solid kiss, as much he wanted it to be more.

She broke it, as he knew she would, but didn't step back from his embrace. Instead she looked at him, and he was ashamed to feel his own tears begin to slip down his cheeks.

"I do love you, Gabrielle," he said quietly. "Nothing in the world is going to change that." She nodded, then stepped back. "In another time, perhaps…we could have been," she said softly. "But not this one."

John nodded, wiping his face with the palms of his hands. "I know. I may not ever accept it…but I know." Gabrielle smiled at him. "Someday, my friend, you'll find the one. And she will be right for you, because she'll return your love. As you deserve." He shook his head. "I don't think so…."

She touched his face gently. "I have to get back before Kane wakes up. Tomorrow's another day." John nodded. She turned to leave again and he spoke up. "Gabrielle, what's _really _wrong with you? I feel like there's something you're not telling me!"

She turned to face him, and now her face was unreadable. "Another time," she whispered, and then she left, shutting the door gently behind her.

He stood looking at the door for a long moment, then took his cap off and slung it across the room. He laid back down on the bed, lacing his hands over his stomach, and stared at the ceiling. He felt as if ice coated his insides, and an overwhelming sense of dread hung over him.

* * *

"Gabrielle?" Kane said, his voice slurred with sleep.

"Shhh…I didn't mean to wake you." She slid into bed beside him and wrapped her arms around him. He pulled her close. They lay in warm darkness, but Gabrielle lay awake for a long time, even after Kane drifted off again.

"I love you," she whispered against his chest. She felt her inner darkness swell up inside her and she pushed it away. It wasn't time yet, but she felt it would be soon.

In that darkness was death…but for who?


	20. Chapter 20

Kane snapped awake, jerking slightly. Gabrielle, who was curled up next to him, mumbled in her sleep. He looked at the bedside clock: 3:45 am. He turned back to Gabrielle and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek, then got out of bed and went to the restroom. When he was done, instead of getting back in bed, he went to the chair and sat down.

He wasn't sleepy anymore, not after the nightmare that had awakened him. Thankfully he couldn't remember it all, but the one detail he wished he could block out entirely was still at the forefront of his mind.

Gabrielle had died. He didn't know how, or where, but she had died in his dream. And somehow his brother was involved.

Kane sat in the nearly complete darkness of their hotel room, despair washing over him. He didn't know how to stop the Undertaker from tearing Gabrielle away from him; he didn't know how to stop him from destroying them all if Gabrielle couldn't be swayed back to his side. He had hoped to hear from his father to see if Bearer had found something useful, but his phone remained silent.

He sighed, looking over at the bed. Gabrielle was deep under the covers, only a sheaf of white hair visible. There, in that bed, lay his salvation...and, he feared, his undoing. She had saved him from the loneliness that had plagued him for so long, as well as from his own black rage. He had honestly thought he would never find a woman who would just _love_ him, and love him she did.

He was so scared.

He couldn't lose her.

Gabrielle rolled over on her back and moaned deep in her throat. It set the hair on the backs of his arms on end; there was nothing but pure fear in that sound. Then there was a sharp intake of air, and she sat up as if shocked.

"Kane!" she nearly screamed, and he scrambled back to the bed. He slipped his arms around her and felt her body trembling. "What's wrong? I'm here, it's okay..."

She slumped into his embrace. "Oh Kane...god I thought you were gone..." He could feel her heart beating rapidly and put a hand on her breast as if to calm it.

"No, I'm here. What happened? Bad dream?"

"Horrible...horrible...all I could see was blood...and you were gone...I couldn't find you..." He held her silently for a moment, trying to calm her. Finally he felt the trembling stop, and she rested her head against his bare chest.

"Better now?" he asked.

"Yes...yes..." She slipped her arms around his neck and brought her lips to his collarbone. He shivered at her touch." Make love to me, Kane", she whispered, kissing along his collarbone and making him almost painfully hard. "Please...make love to me...I just want to forget the darkness..."

Kane brought her head up to his and kissed her, feeling her tongue dance with his. All she wore was one of his tshirts and a pair of panties; he laid her down and stripped her efficiently, kissing his way down her body. Gabrielle moaned his name as they came together.

"I love you...god how I love you..." she whispered.

"I love you, Gabrielle...you're mine, all mine..."

Afterwards, lying together, they slept, the darkness having become a little friendlier...

**Not a very long chapter, I know, but just something those two told me to do :)**


	21. Chapter 21

The next morning found them in the hotel café, breakfast laid out before them, but neither was eating. Kane stared off into space; Gabrielle pushed her food around on her plate. She finally laid her fork down and took a sip of coffee.

John walked in and joined them. The waitress came over to take his order, but John waved her away. He wasn't hungry today either. The three sat in silence for a moment; for some reason, today felt like the end of the world. Maybe in some way, it was…

Gabrielle finally spoke up. "I hope you realize what you're getting yourself into, John." He jumped a bit at the sound of her voice. He glanced at Kane, who looked impassively back at him. He looked back at Gabrielle. "Well, to be honest, I don't know what the fuck is really going on here. But I made you a promise, and I intend to keep that promise."

He was hoping to get at least a hint of a smile from her, but she simply looked at him, her green eyes hooded. Kane shook his head and looked away. "As long as you know…." Gabrielle trailed off, sitting up straighter suddenly. Kane focused back on her. "Gabrielle? What's wrong?" Both he and John looked around the room , but could see nothing wrong. She stood up, eyes fixed on something unseen. "Kane…it's _him._"

Kane stood up like a shot, nearly overturning the table. John leapt to his feet as well. "Where? Where is the son of a bitch?" Gabrielle opened her mouth to answer him—

-and there was nothing but darkness. The café disappeared; they were in complete and utter darkness. Kane immediately reached for Gabrielle but got nothing but air. "Gabrielle! Where are you?"

There was a laugh, low and throaty. Kane knew that laugh.

"Taker! You bastard! Show yourself, coward!" The laugh came again. "Not yet, little brother. You see, I just dropped by to finally reclaim what was mine." Kane growled, his hands itching to go around Undertaker's throat. "NO! You won't take her from me, damn you! You WON'T!"

"Too late, little brother," Taker whispered; there was a deafening clap of thunder, a bright flash of light, and then….he and John were in the café again. The people inside were eating, talking, acting as if nothing had happened.

Gabrielle was gone.

The hotel room again. Kane was on his cell phone, trying to reach his father. Bearer's voice mail picked up. "Dad, please call me back as soon as you get this." Kane flipped the phone shut and tossed it on the bed. His hands went to his head and he grabbed it, squeezing his eyes shut. He wanted to scream; he wanted to pick up something and tear this room apart. The rage and pain inside him was tuned to a fever pitch; he had never wanted to kill someone so badly before now.

John sat in a chair, watching Kane warily. He felt empty, like something had been ripped out of him. He wanted to say something to Kane, but had no idea if it would even be safe to do so.

Kane dropped his hands and began to pace back and forth, muttering to himself. John shifted uneasily in the chair. "Where has he taken her?" he asked quietly. Kane snarled. "How the fuck should I know? I don't visit him, but I'm going to find him, oh yes, I'm going to find him and fucking _kill _him, THAT'S what I'm going to do…."

John stood up, taking a deep breath. He walked over and grabbed the larger man by the shoulders. Kane stopped, eyes widening. "You feeling suicidal, Cena?" he asked. John shook his head in exasperation. "Stop! Just stop for a damn moment! Going off the deep end isn't going to help get Gabrielle back; we have to sit down and think this out—" His words cut off as Kane's hand went around his throat; John's eyes bugged out.

"I know," Kane whispered. "I'm not an idiot, and don't try to play me like one. I know you're in love with her, Cena. You can give me all the bullshit in the world about being 'just friends'; I know better. I ought to choke the life right out of you…." He trailed off and let John go, his shoulders sagging. Cena stepped back quickly, coughing. Kane looked at the floor. "But she would be angry with me. _She _trusts you. She wouldn't want me to fuck everything up over simple jealousy."

John massaged his throat. "I've tried to tell you time and time again; she loves _you_, Kane. I see it in her eyes when she looks at you; I hear it in her voice when she talks to you. Yes, I do love her…but I know it can never be. " He took a tentative step forward. "That's why we have to work together…Gabrielle needs us."

Kane looked up at him, and John saw a lifetime of pain in his haunted eyes. "Then help me…because without her, I have nothing…."


	22. Chapter 22

When she woke up, it was dark. There was a single candle lit on the small table beside the bed she lay on. Gabrielle sat up slowly; a scream was building in her throat, but she refused to let it out.

This was the same room _he_had kept her in, the same room she had been made into something not quite human.

She turned to look at the door, and a huge dark figure stood there, watching her with emerald eyes. Rage immediately flooded her body. She wanted to jump off the bed and rip out his throat with her bare hands, but she made herself stay seated.

"You…." She hissed. The dark figure smirked. "I was hoping for a happier greeting than that, little sister."

Gabrielle's eyes widened. "Don't you call me that! I'm not your _anything_! All you've done is hurt Kane even more by doing this, and for what?"

The Undertaker took a step forward, the candlelight making eerie shadows on his face. "Because I can," he said, the smirk vanishing from his face. "You may not want to believe it, but you belong to me, Gabrielle. I made you live when you should have died! You should be grateful to me…if it hadn't been for me, you wouldn't have met your precious Kane, now would you?"

She got off the bed, staring at him with her own deep emerald gaze. "Grateful that I was able to find the love of my life, yes…but not at the cost. Being tied to you for the rest of my life is not quite what I had in mind. Maybe those thugs should have killed me…maybe you should have just let me die." Her eyes were cold as she spoke and she felt something shift in him suddenly, as if he didn't anticipate her line of thinking. His face showed no emotion as he spoke. "That's very ungrateful of you, Gabrielle. I expected better of you."

She took a step towards him. "You won't get anything from me that I don't want to share…and believe me, I am not sharing _shit_with you. Don't get too comfortable…I'm not staying." He took a step closer to her. "So you say, little one…so you say. I wouldn't sound too confident if I were you. My stupid brother and your buddy Cena aren't going to be able to find you." They stood there, green eyes locked with green eyes, neither one backing down. "They'll find me," Gabrielle hissed. "They'll find me, and then we'll finish you, so that you'll never be able to hurt us ever again." A slow smile curved his lips, and his eyes glittered. "We'll see, little sister…we'll see…"

Two figures walked out of the hotel into the parking lot, one much taller and more heavily muscled than the other, but both walked with purpose. A black Lincoln Town Car with tinted windows sat idling in the middle of the half deserted lot. Kane walked up to the driver's side and the window slid down. Paul Bearer sat behind the wheel, his white face paler than usual. "Father, what did you find out?" Kane rasped. John Cena stood beside Kane, face unreadable. Bearer took a deep breath. "Son…I know where they are. And it might be hard for you to go there…you see, your brother has rebuilt the old funeral home…the one that burned the night your mother died." Kane put his hands on top of the car and looked up at the clouded sky. He looked back down at his father. "I'll walk through the very gates of hell for her. I can do this." Bearer looked at him for a moment, then nodded. "I also have what you requested…although I'm not sure how it's going to help." Kane shrugged. "Just a feeling I have…" He turned to John. "Are you ready to do this?" John looked up at him, and Kane saw the resolve in his eyes. "I've been ready ever since the bastard took her." Kane looked at him, the other man that loved his Gabrielle; John met his gaze steadily. Finally Kane nodded. "Let's go, Father." The two men got into the car and it sped away, the daylight bleeding out into the night…


	23. Chapter 23

It was completely dark by the time they pulled up in front of the funeral home; Paul had blacked out the lights and shut the car off, rolling silently to a stop. Kane didn't want to look at the building; there were too many memories associated with it, even though it wasn't the original place where he had once been the happiest in his life, when he had once had a normal family…or so it seemed. Mother, father, older brother…that illusion died the night of the fire, the night he thought his face had been burned away just as his emotions had been. He spared a glance at the man in the driver's seat, the source of all the confusion and conflictions; he had once hated this man, hated him with a passion he spared only for his older brother, but Paul was older now, if not wiser. Too many years had passed and the juvenile feelings Kane had once held for his biological father were left behind. Paul had offered his help, something that he had never done before, and for that, Kane was grateful.

He finally turned his head to look at the building. There were no lights on outside and only a few windows were lit. Damn the Undertaker's memory! It looked exactly the same as it had before the fire. Kane wanted to cringe away and mentally forced himself to stop. Gabrielle was in there and he had spoken the truth to his father: he would walk through the gates of hell for her. He could make himself go inside this hated structure and save her. Maybe he could watch it burn again after she was safe. The thought of pouring gasoline over every piece of wood and brick and lighting the whole thing ablaze…that would be just fine.

He realized he had been sitting there silent for quite some time, when an agitated John Cena spoke up from the back seat. "Are you two having some kind of weird father/son memory share or what? I thought we came here to get Gabrielle away from that lunatic!" He nearly regretted the words after Kane swung around to look at him, his mismatched eyes seeming to stare right through him. "Don't get me wrong, Cena, I appreciate the help, I really do…but you seem to act like you're the only one who cares at all what happens to Gabrielle. I don't think you want to make that mistake." The two men stared at each other, and Paul was suddenly put in mind of two huge buck deer he had seen once during the rut, snorting and pawing at the ground, not giving an inch to the other…all over a woman. Paul mentally sighed; no sense in making it worse than it already was.

Kane and John finally stopped their staredown, both men looking away at the same time, and Kane was almost compelled to respect the other man. Almost. "Let's go," Kane said quietly, and they all got out of the car and approached the front of the house.

The scene unfolds like this: Kane, John, and Paul enter the house and walk into the parlor, which is decorated the same as it was in Kane's other life. Paul is the only one carrying something, a bag which holds the item Kane requested he bring.

* * *

The Undertaker stands in front of the huge stone fireplace, looking more evil than Kane could have ever imagined. And sitting in a chair on the opposite side of the fireplace is the reason he forced himself to come back to this place, the most hated place of all. Gabrielle is thin, her white hair is dull and limp, falling in her face, but she is the most beautiful thing he has ever seen in his life. Her emerald eyes look up from the floor to meet his, and at first he sees the disbelief, as if she thinks she's dreaming. Then she looks at all of them, and her lips quiver. Her eyes come back and lock with his and he can tell she wants to scream, cry, something, anything, but she is holding herself back very, very well.

Big brother looks at all of them with a sneer, unaffected by their arrival, but Kane has always been able to discern his true feelings from his eyes, and they tell the whole story: he is totally shocked that they came here, let alone found his secret den. _Your powers are fading, big brother, you're getting old…_ The thought passes through his mind in a split second; Taker opens his mouth to say something, and then Gabrielle's eyes fall on the bag in Paul's hand. She jerks as if electrocuted and lurches to her feet; Taker spins to look at her, again brought off-balance by the ones he never thought to be a threat. John makes as if to take a step towards her, and Kane puts a hand to his chest; Gabrielle knows what's in the bag, and she knows what to do with it. She stumbles forward towards Paul, reaching for the bag, and now Taker realizes something is drastically wrong with this whole situation. Gabrielle takes the bag from Paul and unzips it; Taker sees the glint of dull gold and his eyes go wide. Kane looks at his big brother and the green eyes are now blazing red, the eyes of a demon. _Isn't that what they call me? _he thinks crazily, and Taker's gloved hands come up, held out in front of him like claws. Gabrielle fumbles with the object in the bag; Taker takes a shuddering step forward, and a huge gust of wind comes out of nowhere, knocking Paul and John back to the floor. The bag slithers to the floor, unneeded now, and Gabrielle turns to face the Undertaker, the urn in her hands, and her eyes are no longer dull, but bright and full of life, even as blood bursts from the corners of them, as it runs from her nose and ears. The urn is killing her as well, but she smiles as she takes off the top. Taker is frozen in his tracks; there is a light coming from the urn, a light he knows all too well, and it once served him, but now, in this final hour, it has become his undoing.

"_NO!" _He screams at the sight of it, and tries to turn to run, something Kane has never seen him do in his life, but the light surrounds him, and he is helpless. Gabrielle is still smiling, even as she goes to her knees, blood falling around her in drops, and Kane is struck with horror that maybe she knew all along what her demise would be, and yet went to it anyway. He tries to move…and then the whole world explodes…

* * *

"GABRIELLE!" The scream tears from his throat as he sits up, and the pain hits him, sears his whole body…and his face. His hands go to his face and another pair of hands grabs his, stopping him. "Don't do that," a voice says. Cena. He tries to open his eyes and discovers he can't see. He jerks away from Cena. "What happened? What the hell happened? Why can't I see?"

He hears John sigh and move away a bit. "I…I'm not exactly sure what happened…except the Undertaker is gone, there was a fire, and Gabrielle…" He trails off, and Kane's heart stops. "Where is she, Cena? WHERE IS SHE?" John shifts again. "We thought she was dead…hell, we thought you both were…Paul and I barely got you two out of that house and called 911. By the time the paramedics got there, she was breathing again…and she was fine. All that blood…damn it all…but after they got you two here to the hospital and got her cleaned up, she was fine…like nothing had happened." He stops talking and Kane can breathe again…except for one thing.

"You said there was a fire," Kane says. "What…what happened to me?" He hears John sign again. "I'm not sure how it happened, but you got burned. Second degree burns mostly, but your face…that's why you can't see, Kane. They have your face bandaged up, your eyes. I don't know how bad it is…I'm sorry."

Kane sits there for a long moment, letting the irony of it all sink in. The end of his first life started with a fire and with the thought drummed into him that he had been horribly burned, when in fact it hadn't been true. But now…He lets a sound escape him, and he hears John Cena shudder away from him. He hears the sound again, and it's a laugh, but it's the laugh of a damned person, of someone totally insane.

_Burned…fucking BURNED…_

He doesn't know how long he sits there laughing, but he senses the presence of someone else in the room, and falls silent. The person stands beside his bed, and he can feel the eyes on him, and he knows. He reaches out a hand and it's taken by one much smaller and softer than his. Tears well up in his eyes.

"Gabrielle…" he lets her name rest in the air between them. He thought she was _dead_. He thought everything he had done had been for nothing in the end. A sob rips out of him and John quietly and discreetly leaves; he loves Gabrielle too, loves her more than anyone he has ever known, but he knows who she belongs to, and he's smart enough to leave them alone for a while.

Kane feels her arms go around him gently and realizes the upper part of his body is also bandaged. She lays his head against his shoulder. "Kane…my love…" she whispers to him. Right now it doesn't matter how she survived; it doesn't matter what happened to his brother; nothing matters except the fact that she's here with him. He wants to crush her more tightly against him, but the pain in his ravaged body stops him.

"My face—" he begins and she brings a finger to his lips, cutting him off. "Don't," she says. "I don't care…I would have loved you in the beginning even if you had been wearing the mask. I can live with it; I can live with _you_, my dear. If you need it again…we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Right now, we'll just concentrate on getting you better."

She brings her lips to his very, very softly, and the man that once called himself the Devil's Favorite Demon smiles, that half-grin known to his fans around the world. He will see how bad the damage was, let the doctors do their thing…but his true healing will come from the woman beside him. He lays back in his bed, Gabrielle sitting beside him, holding his hand. He will heal, in time…but how much of him was burned away this time still remains to be seen…


	24. Chapter 24

EPILOGUE

December 12, 2011—Raw Supershow featuring the Slammy Awards

Lita walked out of the dressing room. It had been fun catching up with some of the girls, and she had gotten to talk to some of the guys as well upon arriving at the arena. She couldn't deny that she still got a kick out of the pop she got from the crowd; they were still trying to convince her to come back for another run, but that…that was out of the question.

The factor that made that completely out of the question suddenly walked around the corner as she was coming down the hall. Lita froze. She hadn't seen him like this in years…his long curly brown hair and the mask…that new mask was more frightening than any of the previous ones. She had heard rumors of an accident several months prior, something about a fire, but as far as she could tell from his uncovered arms, the scarring was minimal. His face might be a different story.

Kane stopped at the sight of the redhead in front of him, and she noticed he was carrying something that looked like a welder's mask. She smoothed her dress nervously and opened her mouth to say hello, something inane like that. Her voice died in her throat at the sudden appearance of the figure beside Kane.

She was tall, taller than she looked on television, toned and muscled in all the right places, and that hair…Lita didn't know whether it was a wig or not, but she had to admit that white hair was gorgeous. Not that she ever would admit that. And her eyes…stunning green orbs yes…but very cold. She was dressed in red and black to match Kane.

Lita was suddenly very frightened.

Gabrielle stared at the shorter woman, who cleared her throat and brushed a strand of red hair out of her face. Lita looked extremely embarrassed. "Hello," she finally managed to say. Kane merely looked at her for a long moment, then turned to look down at Gabrielle, who met his gaze. She turned back to look at Lita, and the utter lack of emotion in her face was unsettling.

"You've said what you had to say. Now if you'll excuse us…" Gabrielle took Kane's heavily muscled arm and began to walk right past Lita, who wasn't used to being brushed off that way.

"Excuse _me, _I don't know what bullshit stories he's been telling you, but—" Lita cut off as Gabrielle stepped right in front of her, and there was something very dark flickering in those emerald eyes. When she spoke, her voice was deadly soft.

"I said, if you'll excuse us…not that I expect a thankless whore like you to even know the meaning of the word 'respect', since you proved to have zero for Kane. He told me enough; I watched the old tapes; I know what happened. I know what you and every other slut who used him did, so it's probably best if you do your little routine out there tonight and leave as soon as you get done. We have nothing left to say to you." She stepped back, her eyes still on Lita, and took Kane's arm again. They brushed past her, and Lita stood there for a moment, the pit of her stomach feeling like it was ice. Never before had she felt such fear of another woman, never. She shook her head to try and clear it and made her way to the front; she wanted to get this over with as soon as possible…

* * *

Kane sat on the sofa in their private dressing room, watching as Gabrielle snacked from a small plate of cheese and fruit. He had been very lucky his burns hadn't been as bad as the doctors had first thought, but the idea of bringing the mask back had been planted, and as he recuperated, he and Gabrielle came up with the designs for a new mask and new ring wear. They had stayed at his cabin in Tennessee, going into Knoxville for treatments as needed. And still there were days Kane woke up, Gabrielle beside him, and he would touch her just to make sure she was still real, that it all was real. The unspoken question was there between them, but he wanted to wait; marriage hadn't even been touched upon, but they both knew…some day…

And then there was John Cena. He had done his duty as Gabrielle's friend, calling and texting to check on Kane's progress, but Kane had seen him when they arrived at the arena. He had seen his eyes when he saw Gabrielle, and knew that the feelings Cena had for her hadn't gone away. They had spoken, been polite, but Kane saw Cena's face fall when Gabrielle took Kane's hand as they turned to go to their dressing room. _That might prove to be a problem after all_, he thought silently, especially when he knew his first act upon making his return would be to chokeslam a stunned Cena.

Right now, though, he wasn't going to dwell on it. He and Gabrielle had approved the teaser videos the WWE had been putting out, about his "resurrection", and he couldn't think of a more appropriate word for what had happened. For over a year now, his life had been a rollercoaster ride of so many ups and downs; he realized that he wouldn't have changed anything for the life he had now. Even though the question of what had really happened to the Undertaker was still there, as well as Gabrielle's miraculous recovery from what he had been sure was certain death.

He had never asked her, but he could guess. The Undertaker's blood had granted her more than a few psychic gifts, which had disappeared after the incident at the funeral home.

But he would not ask her these questions now. Tonight was _their _night; he liked that, referring to the two of them as a unit. And as Gabrielle finished her snack and took a drink of bottled water, he couldn't help but smile his crooked grin. She saw it and her own lips twitched in a smile. "What are you smiling about, darling?" He shook his head. "You. Just you. And always you." She leaned over and kissed him. "Always," she whispered to him. "Yes…always…"

* * *

**Well, that's the end of that story, one that has dragged on for over a year now. With Kane's return to the mask on Raw, I felt it was time to end this story and move on to a new one. I just wanted to thank everyone who has followed Kane and Gabrielle on this long strange trip, and I hope you'll continue to follow them. I do have a small idea for another story…hopefully it won't be too long before I can get it started. Thanks again, guys, you're awesome!**


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